The Hindu : Karnataka News : ‘We’ll announce differential tariffs’

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Wednesday, Aug 15, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

‘We’ll announce differential tariffs’

Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE: Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) after much delay has decided to bite the bullet on the contentious issue of differential tariff for the five electricity supply companies (ESCOMs) in Karnataka. The commission is expected to make its announcement in this regard when it passes its finals orders on the tariff filings of ESCOMs for 2007-08 before it by the end of September 2007.

Stating this to presspersons at the end of a public hearing on tariff filings made by Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd. here on Tuesday, Chairman of KERC K.P. Pandey said consumers of MESCOM have for long been demanding differential tariff instead of common tariff which was being levied on consumers across Karnataka. “Consumers have a right to ask for differential tariff and for us, to give it,” he said.

Criticising the Government for not releasing subsidy amount of Rs. 2,400 crore to ESCOMs for providing subsidised power supply to various categories of consumers, Mr. Pandey said the ESCOMs too were guilty of not adhering to directives given by the commission. “The KERC can frame charges against the managing directors and board of directors of ESCOMs for such blatant violation,” he said.

Mr. Pandey said they forget that they are the licensees of the commission. They have two bosses and find the Government to be a more convenient one, he remarked. ESCOMs are following illegal directives given to it by the Government. The KERC is fully empowered to rectify the situation by filing a writ petition against such moves in the High Court of Karnataka, he said.

Observing that ESCOMs were not involved in demand management and were merely following the directives of Karnataka Power Transmission Company Limited in this regard, he said even this was an important area where ESCOMs should have their say. The Government must encourage inter-company trading of power and not force the consumers to pay for the bad cash management practices of ESCOMs, he said.

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