Bhubaneswar, March 24 (IANS) While people are reeling under the scorching summer sun with the mercury already reaching 39 degrees Celsius in most parts of the state, the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) on Tuesday announced a hike in power tariff in the state.
The tariff announced for the 2015-16 year will be effective from April 1 this year, said an OERC official.
While the regulator raised tariff for domestic category consumers by 20 paise per unit, tariff for electricity for the farming sector was hiked by 40 paise per unit -- the first such hike in 15 years.
The average rise in retail supply tariff for 2015-16 is 4.64 percent over 2014-15, according to OERC.
Monthly minimum charges and meter charges, however, remain unchanged.
"The Commission was forced to resort to a tariff hike due to a steep rise in coal prices and the Central Electric Regulatory Commission (CERC) directive to increase tariff," said OERC secretary G.K. Dhal.
"The principal reason for tariff hike in 2015-16 is due to the pass through of Rs.740.72 crore towards past power purchase dues of NTPC by GRIDCO as per the CERC order dated 15 May 2014," said an OERC release.
It said the tariff hike in 2015-16 is also due to the increase in number of electricity consumers, inadequate generation of low-cost hydropower to meet growing demand and rise in cost of coal and furnace oil that ultimately led to increased generation cost.
Electricity consumers' association president Ramesh Satapathy criticised the state government for the hike.
"The state government had inked about 29 MoUs with power companies to generate thermal power. But only three companies are producing power. It has also failed in producing hydropower," said Satapathy.
On his birthday this year, Salman Khan was spotted arriving in Jamnagar amid tight security for t
Apple WWDC 2023: From lock screen upgrade to Journal app, these powerful features found in iOS 17
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2023 has begun. Let us know that its keynote is be
Once again a Hindu temple has been targeted in Canada. Anti-India slogans have been written on a
In India, marriage is considered a relationship of seven births. Because of this, people make man
UP Politics: In attempts to disturb the communal harmony in Bijnor, Moradabad, and Varanasi in UP
Indian Ambassador Sanjay Kumar Verma, who returned from Canada, has made a big disclosure about C
Before the monsoon, thunderstorms and rain have come the devastation in some states. Bihar, Assam
Today is an important day in the vaccination campaign of Corona in the country. The third dose (p
Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Kharagpur today to help voters in the
Vivek Agnihotri, who produced films like 'The Tashkent', is in a lot of discussions these days ab
