The AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) is working on the feasibility of having more than one tariff rates in the State.
Taking up the suggestion made by a few at the two-day public hearing, held here on the proposed hike in power tariff, that the tariff should vary on the efficiency level and transmission losses of the Discoms in the State, Chairman of APERC Justice G. Bhavani Prasad said the commission was examining the proposal on whether it was possible to have two or more tariff rates within a State.
Expressing satisfaction over the two-day interaction with the public, which ended here on Tuesday, Justice Bhavani Prasad said 22 applicants representing various organisations and associations were heard and the feedback will be carried over to the subsequent hearings that will be held at Kakinada, Guntur, Tirupati and Hyderabad. “It is only after all the public hearings are over that we shall give our inputs on the proposed hike to the government,” he told The Hindu .
“Apart from the 22 representations in person, we had received about 40 applications suggesting various changes and objections to the proposed hike,” he said.
Suggestions poured in from all quarters, touching various aspects such as increased use of solar and other renewable power sources and reduction of tariff for BPL segment and agriculture sector.
On the proposed hike, Chairman of AP Eastern Power Distribution Corporation Limited (APEPDCL) R. Mutyala Raju said basing on the overall projected loss of about Rs. 2,300 crore, the Discom has proposed for a hike of about 6 per cent over the existing tariff to make additional revenue of about Rs. 440 crore, in return.
On the suggested nine-hour supply to agriculture sector, a renewed power purchase agreement with various power generators such as AP GENCO and subsidised power tariff to temples, churches and other religious institutions, Mr. Mutyala Raju said it was up to the APERC to take a call on these suggestions made by the public.
Referring to a suggestion that the power tariff should be made attractive for industrial entrepreneurship and to encourage the speeding up of the proposed PCPIR, Mr. Mutyala Raju said a proposal has been mooted to that effect.
Apart from the 22 representations in person, we have received about 40 applications, says Chairman of APERC
