By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 21: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Thursday demanded that the Power department intervene and halt the implementation of the new power tariffs issued by the Meghalaya State Electricity Regulatory Commission (MSERC) on October 28.
The tariffs for 2023-24, approved under the chairmanship of former IAS officer PW Ingty, included fixed charges for domestic use at Rs 80 per KW per month. Energy charges were set at Rs 4.50 per kWh for the first 100 units and Rs 5 per kWh for the next 100 units. For high-tension industrial consumers, the fixed charges were Rs 300 per kWh per month, with energy charges at Rs 7.80 per kWh.
For 2024-25, the MSERC, under Ingty’s leadership, approved a reduced tariff for domestic consumers. The fixed charges remained at Rs 80 per KW per month, while energy charges were revised to Rs 4 per kWh for the first 100 units (compared to Rs 4.50 per kWh in 2023-24) and Rs 4.50 per kWh for the next 100 units (down from Rs 5 per kWh in the previous year).
However, on October 28, 2024, a newly reconstituted commission under the chairmanship of Chandan Kumar Mondol issued a revised tariff order. HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem stated that the new order introduced reduced rates for high-tension industrial consumers but significantly increased rates for domestic users.
Under the new tariffs, domestic consumers face fixed charges of Rs 90 per KW per month, while energy charges are set at Rs 5.55 per kWh for the first 100 units (an increase from Rs. 4.00 per kWh in the earlier 2024-25 order) and Rs 5.65 per kWh for the next 100 units (up from Rs 4.50 per kWh). For industrial consumers, the fixed charges are Rs 310 per kWh per month, with energy charges reduced to Rs 6.51 per kWh (down from Rs 7.80 per kWh in 2023-24).
Synrem criticised the commission’s decision, claiming it unfairly burdens domestic consumers while offering relief to industrial users. He stated that the revised bills, effective from December 2024, would disproportionately recover increased rates from domestic consumers while benefiting industrial consumers. He argued that this penalises domestic users without justification, treating them as defaulters for no fault of their own.
The HYC president further questioned the timing and rationale of the new tariff rates, which were introduced in the middle of the financial year despite already having fixed rates for 2024-25. He expressed doubts about the necessity of the revisions and criticised the disparity between the increased domestic rates and the reduced industrial rates.
Synrem also raised concerns about the appointment of the current MSERC chairman, a retired NTPC official, deviating from the earlier practice of appointing retired state officers. He suggested that the appointment, along with the sudden tariff revisions, indicates possible ulterior motives.
“This order is unacceptable, and we strongly condemn the MSERC for its unilateral decision,” Synrem asserted. He demanded that the new tariffs be revoked immediately, calling for a fair and transparent process that does not disproportionately burden domestic consumers.