Electricity consumers registered their opposition to the 10 per cent surcharge proposed by the Puducherry Electricity Department (PED) for the year 2014-15, with the Joint Electricity Regulatory Authority that held a public hearing here on Friday.
As per a proposal submitted by the PED, there would not be any change in the existing tariff, which was approved for the year 2013-14. However, 10 per cent surcharge would be levied on tariff as approved by the Commission in the tariff order for 2013-14. The 10 per cent surcharge is part of a plan to amortise regulatory assets of Rs.320.56 crore in three years from 2013-14 to 2015-16.
Most of the consumers were unanimous in their demand to drop the surcharge . They said that the middle class and poor consumers were finding it extremely difficult to pay the existing tariff as it was high. The proposed surcharge would increase their burden. Hence, the JERC should remove surcharge component totally. Similarly, it should take steps to reduce the tariff too.
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Complaining that the Puducherry Electricity Department (PED) had been facing a severe management crisis, consumers said that the loss incurred owing to mismanagement and corrupt practices had been passed on to consumers. The projected transmission and distribution losses and aggregate technical and commercial losses stood at 12.5 per cent and 16.88 per cent respectively. These were more than the average level. When a few consumers opposed the JERC for conducting a public hearing while the model code of conduct was in force, Commission chairman S.K. Chaturvedi said that the hearing was meant only to listen to the views and grievances of consumers. It would not pass any order during election period.