No change in plan to hike power tariff for households: Min

Coimbatore: Electricity minister V Senthil Balaji on Tuesday ruled out any change in the government’s proposal to hike electricity tariff for the households.
However, he said the government would consider the demand from the industrial community for reducing fixed and demand charges for the small and micro industries.
Talking to the media in the city, Balaji said a decision to hike the power tariff was taken because of the electricity department’s mounting losses. “There were requests from the small and micro industries to reduce the proposed fixed and demand charges. They say the revised charges are very high. The state government will consider their demand.” The final tariff, he said, would be fixed based on the requests and the same would be intimated to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC).
He said the electricity board was not in a position to extend additional privileges to the small industries, because of the financial position.
On the objections from several quarters to the proposed power tariff hike during the public hearings organized by TNERC, Balaji reiterated that there would not be any change in the proposed tariff hike for other consumers.
To a query on the reason for the DMK organizing a public meeting in Pollachi, where the BJP held a public meeting recently, on Wednesday, the minister said the DMK could not be compared to the BJP. “How many wards have they won in Coimbatore corporation? They got fewer votes than those polled for NOTA in the past. You should not compare us with the BJP.” He said the BJP’s presence was a mirage.