Bhopal: Govt plans to fix electricity charges; Discom employees resent

Bhopal: In wake of ensuing Assembly elections, the state government’s plan to switch over to collection of power tariff at fixed rates instead of the meter reading has gone well with Discoms employees.

The government also mulling over issuing electricity bills on un-metered rates to rural consumers and BPL families. Government is planning to collect tariff from consumers at fixed rates divided in slabs of Rs 200, Rs 300 and Rs 400. Billing, which will be on flat rate, will be in accordance with the usage of electrical appliances. This move being taken keeping elections in mind, will incur losses of cores of rupees to Power companies, said Discom employees. It will also be a setback for the companies which have launched drive to check transmission and distribution loss (T&D loss), they added.

Voicing objection to the proposed move Vidyut Mandal Abhiyanta Sangh members met minister for energy Paras Jain and asked him to reconsider the proposal. If government goes with the decision, it will be against Vidyut Adhiniyam and Central Government sponsored Saubhagya Yojana which provides for metered connection. There are 58 lakh rural connections and 75 percent consumers have pending dues. Rs 4000 crore is pending on rural consumers.

Sangh general secretary VKS Parihar, said that they have voice their concern before the minister. Parihar said that in rural areas, only 20 per cent collection is possible due to staff crunch. “If government does not collect tariff on meter-reading basis, company will have to do “load check” and companies are already facing staff shortage. Appeal will be made to CM,” Parihar added.

Free of cost transformers replacement in offing

BJP is leaving no stone unturned to continue its winning streak in 2018 assembly polls. The government is planning to replace defunct and damaged transformers under Samadhan Yojana. At present, consumers have to deposit 20 per cent amount for replacement of transformers. Keeping in view public resentment in rural areas, the government is considering replacing it free of cost. Over 7000 transfers are lying defunct in the state.