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Ludhiana: FICO seeks steady power supply, urges govt to roll back hike in tariff
FICO delegation submitted a memorandum to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited central zone chief engineer Jagdev Singh Hans highlighting the critical need for a continuous and high-quality power supply for optimal industrial production
To seek resolution for several pressing industrial issues, a delegation from the Federation of Industrial & Commercial Organization (FICO) met Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) central zone chief engineer Jagdev Singh Hans on Saturday.
The delegation, led by president Gurmeet Singh Kular, general secretary Rajeev Jain and senior vice president Manjinder Singh Sachdeva, submitted a memorandum highlighting the critical need for a continuous and high-quality power supply for optimal industrial production. The delegation expressed concern over recent voltage fluctuations and frequent unscheduled power cuts, which have negatively impacted production.
They also highlighted the charges for unauthorised electricity use as PSPCL has issued penalty notices to small and medium industries with electroplating and induction heater units, labelling them as power-intensive units. FICO argued that these industries have metered connections and pay for their electricity usage, making the penalties unjust. They called for the roll-back of these charges.
The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) recently increased the fixed charges by ₹5 per KVA and unit rates by 15 paise for industrial consumers. FICO argued that given the industry’s narrow profit margins amid a prolonged recession, these hikes would further strain businesses. They requested the government to roll back the increased tariffs to support the industry.
The embers requested the expedited installation of quality metres to monitor and ensure the power supply’s consistency. The delegation raised concerns about charges for replacing damaged quality metres, stating that replacement fees should only apply if the metres are owned by the industrialists, not rented from the department.
FICO proposed a night tariff at 50% of the base rate, or ₹2.75 per unit, as Punjab has a surplus power supply. They suggested that utilising surplus power at night could benefit industries by reducing costs.
They recommended revising the power categories for industrial supplies, suggesting that the small power limit be increased to 49 KVA, medium supply to 149 KVA and large supply connections be calculated beyond these limits.
Members called for the abolition of fixed charges for operating industrial units, arguing that only non-operative units should pay these charges. They suggested eliminating the two-way tariff system to facilitate industrial operations in Punjab.FICO advocated for a single tariff system for the industry, stating that the current differentiation between general load and power-intensive load is detrimental to businesses.
