Power punch: Metro fares may go up

You won't have to pay more for electricity at home, but going to office is likely to cost more, reports Moushumi Das Gupta.

The good news is that you will not have to pay a single penny more on account of the five paisa per unit power tariff hike announced by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC).

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The Delhi government has decided to cover the increase by announcing yet another subsidy to offset the marginal hike.

But you are likely to pay more for boarding the Metro as DERC has increased the power tariff for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) by 70 paisa — to Rs 3 per unit — from March 1.

"Apart from the actual tariff of Rs 3 per unit, we have to pay some additional charges to the distcoms. The total amount would come to Rs 3.30 per unit," said DMRC spokesman Anuj Dayal.

Officials of the private power distribution companies said the cost of power to DMRC for running its trains could increase by up to Rs 20 crore every year. DMRC currently pays up to Rs 45 crore annually to buy power from distcoms.

The existing Metro fare varies between Rs 6 and Rs 22, depending on the distance traveled. The last time Metro fares were increased was in 2005.

Dayal said the final call on revising the fares would have to be made by the Metro's fare fixation committee. "The fare fixation committee does take into account the increase power procurement cost before determining the fares," he said.