Stage set for increase in power tariff?

Be ready to loosen your purse strings further as the stage is almost set for a hike in power tariff in the national capital.

Be ready to loosen your purse strings further as the stage is almost set for a hike in power tariff in the national capital.

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The indication to this effect has already been given by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit when she said people have money to pay more for power.

Delhi's power regulator DERC has finalised a new tariff order for the 2010-11 after completing scrutiny of balance sheets of discoms which have been demanding a 40 per cent hike in tariff.

Citing financial crunch due to heavy spending on Commonwealth Games project, Delhi Government had in the last six months hiked bus fares, water tariff, withdrew subsidy on LPG cylinders and increased VAT on a number of items.

The government last year had withdrawn power subsidy for certain categories of consumers to save around Rs 1,000 crore.

As per indication, the DERC may not burden those consumers whose monthly consumption does not exceed 300 MW and significantly hike tariff for higher consumption. Sources said government may also totally do away with the subsidy being given to those whose monthly consumption is less than 150 MW.

They said, however, the hike will not be "too much" as demanded by the discoms. Reliance Infrastructure-backed discom BSES in its tariff petition had demanded a tariff hike of 60 per cent citing increasing cost of buying power from the power exchanges.

Officials in the power department are learnt to have opposed any substantial hike arguing the discoms will no longer require to buy power from the open market once the under construction power plants at Bawana and Dadri start generating power.