The Meghalaya State Electricity Regulatory Commission (MSERC) has hiked power tariff in the State to be effective from April 1, 2014 till March 31, 2015.
“The average increase in the power tariff for the current fiscal year is around 15 per cent,” MSERC chairman Anand Kumar told newsmen here on Wednesday.
He informed that power tariff of around 2.5 lakh domestic consumers in the State has been raised by 13 per cent.
According to Sharma, the fixed power charge for domestic consumers has been raised to Rs. 40 per KW per month from the existing Rs. 35.
The energy charge for the first 100 units has been raised to Rs. 2.90 from the existing Rs. 2.60, while the energy charge for the next 100 units has been raised to Rs. 3.40 from the existing Rs. 3 and energy charge above 200 units has been raised to Rs. 4.40 from Rs. 3.75.
Sharma also informed that the power tariff of around 60,000 BPL consumers (Kutir Jyoti metered consumers) in the State has been raised by 12 per cent.
Sharma informed that the new tariff for BPL consumer has been fixed at Rs. 2.25 per unit as against the old tariff of Rs. 2 per unit.
The power tariff of around 20,000 commercial consumers in the State has been hiked by 15 per cent, the MSERC chairman said, adding that the fixed power charge for commercial consumers has been hiked to Rs. 80 per KW per month from the existing tariff of Rs. 70 per KW.
For commercial power consumers the first 100 units will now be charged at Rs. 5 per unit as against the earlier rate of Rs. 4.50.
“The energy charge for above 100 units has been raised from Rs. 4.90 to Rs. 5.80,” he added.
Power tariff for the 158 industrial consumers in Meghalaya has also been hiked by about 15 per cent.
Informing that fixed charge for industrial units have been hiked to Rs. 150 per KVA from the existing Rs. 125, Sharma said that the energy charges per unit has also been raised to Rs. 5.24 from the existing Rs 4.54.
“With the hike in power tariff, 95 per cent of the consumers of the State (domestic, BPL, agriculture and commercial) having consumption of less than 100 per cent have an increase in tariff of 12.5 per cent,” Sharma said, while justifying that the tariff in Meghalaya is still reasonable as compared to other North Eastern States because of the advantage of cheaper power generation from the State’s own hydro generation (Rs. 2 per unit) and better consumer mix in the State.
He also informed that the fuel surcharge of 15 to 20 paisa per unit shall not be charged from the consumers from April 1, 2014.
Meanwhile, he informed that the annual revenue of the Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited (MePDCL) has been approved at Rs. 618 crore with an approved loss level of 24 per cent.
“We have asked the Corporation to maintain a loss level of 24 per cent. The MePDCL would have to bear the loss if the loss level goes beyond 24 per cent,” the MSERC Chairman said.
He, however, expressed confidence that the average increase in the revenue of MePDCL shall be around 15 per cent in 2014-15.
“The tariff for the Leshka Hydel Project has been kept at the same level as last year at Rs. 2.83 per unit subject to the final determination of tariff only after the reports of the independent expert committee and the financial audit,” Sharma added.
