Nagpur Chamber of Commerce Limited (NCCL), J P Sharma, strongly objected to the power tariff hike at a hearing before Maharashtra Electricity Regulato

The hearing date was fixed for
determination of Aggregate
Revenue Requirement and tariff
for 2010-11 by Maharashtra State
Electricity Distribution Company
Limited (Mahadiscom) in Petition
No. 111 of 2009.
Similarly, Maharashtra State
Electricity Transmission Company
Limited (Mahatranco) and
Maharashtra State Power
Generation Co. Ltd. (Mahagenco)
had filed Petition No.103 of 2009
and 102 of 2009, respectively
before MERC. The Commission
has admitted the petitions on April
7, 2010 and had directed MSEDCL
to publish a public notice under
Section 64(2) of the Electricity
Act, 2003, for inviting suggestions
and objections from the public,
wherein NCCL had already
submitted its objections.
NCCL supported the objections
raised by Vidarbha Industries
Association (VIA). Sharma vehemently
submitted that already electricity
tariff of the State has been
raised 7 times within last 6 months,
which cumulatively had a rise of
35 per cent and in turn had generated
additional revenue of Rs
4700 cr. Such increase has already
added Rs 1.40 to Rs 1.75 per unit
and with the current petition the
State Electricity Companies has
again demanded an augment of
34%, which is absolutely unprecedented
and unwanted.
Sharma said that instead of
raising electric tariff to cover
up a shortfall of Rs 4166 cr,
all the three companies should
curtail their expenditures and
control transmission losses and
should stop burdening the losses
on the consumers. He said that
under such circumstances, there
should be no tariff increase for
coming three years.