Tea growers seek Assam CM intervention on tariff hike

GUWAHATI: The North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) has sought the intervention of the Assam chief minister in regard to the proposed hike in electricity tariff on fixed and energy charge by Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL). The APDCL, vide an advertisement dated December 27, 2019, proposed to hike electricity tariff on fixed charge and energy charge in all categories in the financial year 2020-2021. In the tea category, the power company has proposed to increase fixed charge from Rs 250 to Rs 320, a hike of 28 per cent and energy charge from Rs 7.15 per unit to Rs 8.75 per unit, a hike of 22.3 per cent. “The Assam tea industry is already under threat owing to the adverse market scenario prevailing in the past few years. Such a steep hike in fixed and energy charge on electricity consumption will be detrimental for the industry, which is already under tremendous strain owing to hike in input costs and low realisation of tea prices,” NETA adviser, Bidyananda Barkakoty, said in a statement issued on Monday.