The public hearing, held at SCOPE Complex in Pragati Vihar, was being heard by Justice S S Chauhan, Chairman of DERC.Several residents pressed the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) for revision of power rates and rollback of fixed charges at a public hearing held in Pragati Vihar Wednesday.
“It is very difficult for retired people to afford this. Not only should fixed charges be rolled back, but people should also be compensated for excess amount collected so far,” said Janakpuri resident Jagdish Khetarpal (76), a former power department staffer. Jagdish Rai Bhatia from Malviya Nagar echoed the concern, adding that students and paying guests should not be burdened with such high fixed charges.
The public hearing, held at SCOPE Complex in Pragati Vihar, was being heard by Justice S S Chauhan, Chairman of DERC.
The meeting was attended by MLAs Nitin Tyaagi (AAP) and O P Sharma (BJP). While their party workers accused each other for the high power rates, many residents felt the issue is being politicised. “DERC is an independent body and the issue is being politicised for no reason. The government is only in charge of subsidies,” said A K Dutta, a former engineering consultant.
The 2018 DERC tariff order benefited households that consume more power, while those consuming less have to bear the brunt of higher fixed charges.
