Sources said the new tariff would be announced with the joining of the new chairman as the tenure of the current chairman would be over on August 9. (Representational image)
AS AUGUST ends, domestic and commercial consumers would have to bear the burden of enhanced power tariff as the Punjab government may announce the hike in electricity by the end of this month.
As the government has already announced reduced power tariff for the industrial sector at Rs 5 per unit, it calls for a Rs 3,200-crore subsidy on the reduced industrial power tariff.
There are around 72 lakh consumers, including over 15 lakh tubewell connections (for agricultural sector), around 1.3 lakh industrial units including small, medium and large, and the rest are domestic and commercial consumers only.
Sources said the new tariff would be announced with the joining of the new chairman as the tenure of the current chairman would be over on August 9.
Sources in the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC), which had earlier submitted the report pertaining to enhanced tariff and was stopped by the government, has to give the new estimates to the government. But the PSERC has made some rough estimates which would be finalised once the new chairman of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) takes charge.
A senior PSPCL officer informed that they had demanded a hike of 20 to 28 per cent tariff on both commercial and domestic consumers as PSPCL is already under a Rs 4,500-crore deficit.
“The government has been giving subsidies in various sectors, including around Rs 6,700 crore in the agricultural sector, now Rs 3,200 crore on industry and to BPL families. But, it has not been paying back the subsidised amount to PSPCL on time and even the dues are pending since 2014-15. And now, we have demanded a hike of 20 to 28 per cent on the existing rates per unit in domestic and commercial consumers,” said a senior officer, requesting anonymity.
Punjab Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh said the process of appointing the new chairman as well as announcing the tariff would be made in due course.
