The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) has said that Thursday’s order revising the power tariff for various categories of consumers was not delayed purposefully.
Asserting that allegations to the contrary were against facts, the commission, in a statement on Friday, said it was because of a case in the High Court that the order was delayed and not because of the Assembly session.
The commission, based on a petition from the Kerala State Electricity Board proposing revision of tariff, had held public hearings across the State apart from discussing the proposal in the SERC’s State Advisory Council. Based on the decisions at these forums, the commission was on its way to issue orders revising the tariff when an association of high-tension and extra-high-tension power consumers, comprising mainly large-scale business enterprises, approached the High Court against the tariff revision. The procedures to revise the tariff had to be put on hold because of this.
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The High Court took up the case for hearing on July 25 and issued orders allowing the commission to proceed with the revision, following which a commission meeting on the same day approved the order, which was issued the next day, the statement said.