The Andhra Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has submitted a memorandum to APSPDCL Chairman and Managing Director urging him to waive penal charges levied in November bills.
It also wanted the SPDCL to consider enforcing the penal charges with effect from January 2013 bill. ACCI president Muthavaarapu Muralikrishna and secretary Prasad R. K. Chukkapalli said that the waiver was essential de rigueur to save the industry. The HT consumers have not deliberately violated the restriction and control (R&C) measures. There was no clarity on the R&C measures, and formal notice with an acknowledgement.
There was an uncertainty and confusion among the HT consumers due to frequent changes in the R&C measures issued by the APERC. The MRI clock varied over half an hour to two hours with that of actual clock attracting penal charges for following true clock. The consumers were not given the opportunity of choosing the option and there has been no indication of which option they have been put in. Neither there was communication from the officials.
The contradiction in definition of peak load within the APERC notice –6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and6.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.- was also confusing. The consumers were also not given enough time to understand and adjust the modalities of the implementation of the penal charges, they said.
‘Major blow’
The tariff hike, fuel surcharge adjustment (FAS) and penal charges would kill the industry, a golden goose. The industry was forced to scale down operations due to 60 percent power cut. The power cost accounts to 30 to 50 percent of the operation cost, and 100 per cent increase in the power component was sure to kill the industry.
