IIT-H, IMA seek reduction in power tariff in Telangana

HYDERABAD: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and IIT-H have requested the TS Electricity Regulatory Commission (TSERC) to reduce power tariff for them.For the first time, representatives of these institutions appeared before the ERC here on Friday during a public hearing on annual revenue requirement and tariff proposals for retail supply business, cross subsidy surcharge for financial year (FY) 2023-24 and also on the power purchase “true-up” charges for FY 2016-17 to FY 2021-22 and FY 2022-23.

Prof BS Murty of the IIT-H said that the tariff being charged from IIT-H was on par with commercial enterprises and profit-making private establishments. “IIT-H is fully into academic and research activities and is certainly not a profit-making enterprise,” he said.Prof Murty informed TSERC chairman T Sriranga Rao that IIT-H is carrying out many research activities in association with the government organisations like DRDO and with various departments.

‘Paying Rs 1crore per month’

Prof Murty said that the IIT-H was paying over Rs 1 crore per month as power bills. In States like Gujarat, power tariff for educational institutions is Rs 3.90 per unit while it is Rs 7.25 per unit in AP. However, IIT-H is paying Rs 8 per unit, he said.IMA Telangana president BN Rao said that the healthcare establishments are availing power supply under LT-II, non-domestic / commercial category at higher tariff per unit when compared to government medical institutions, which are covered under LT-VII general purpose category.

“Karnataka and Maharashtra have given concessional power tariff to hospitals. Telangana government should also consider providing concessional tariff equal to LT-VII general purpose category to healthcare establishments,” he requested.TSSPDCL CMD G Raghuma Reddy informed the ERC that the estimated power requirement for 2023-24 was 56,831 million units as against 51,306 million units for 2022-23.