Jharkhand hikes domestic electricity charges up to 98%, cuts rate for commercial industries
Chief minister Raghubar Das said the new tariffs are being imposed to improve the state’s power system.
Jharkhand has hiked the electricity tariff for domestic consumers up to 98% and slightly reduced the tariff for commercial industries, the State Regulatory Board said on Saturday.
As per the new rates, domestic consumers will have to pay ₹5.50 per unit for 200 units as compared to earlier ₹3 per unit, while the tariff has been reduced to ₹6 from the existing RS 6.80 per unit for the commercial industries.
Chief minister Raghubar Das said that new tariffs were being imposed to improve the state’s power system.
He said that the poor workers, farmers and small traders would be provided subsidy by the state government and an announcement in this regard would be made soon.
In rural areas, the new tariff has been set at ₹4.40 from the existing 1.25 per unit.
The farmers too have to foot more bills as ₹5 per unit will be charged for irrigation from existing 70 paise- ₹1.25 per unit.
Criticising the tariff hike, Congress general secretary Kishore Sahdeo told IANS: “Jharkhand is facing poor power supply and the new shocker is power tariffs. This is an anti-people move. We will oppose the bill in the assembly and hit the roads.”
