Proposed new electricity tariff to hit consumers hard in Jharkhand

THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK

Daltonganj, Dec. 13: The new power, proposed by the Jharkhand Electricity Regulatory Commission, is set to affect the rural and urban consumers.

The hike in the tariff of electricity here in Jharkhand is claimed to be less than what it is in the parent state of Bihar.

However, what it doesn’t say is that Bihar has done a far better job in supplying power to remote human habitation as compared to Jharkhand. Here the loss of electricity in transmission is a matter of concern.

The proposed tariff for the year 2023 -24 may cost Rs 7 per unit for rural domestic consumers while urban domestic consumers may pay Rs 8.60 per unit.

Also Read: Supreme Court scolds Delhi Govt over delay in funding Delhi-Meerut RRTS project

Fixed charge

The fixed charge for both the categories of electricity domestic consumers will be 75 rupees per month as proposed.

All said and done the new tariff may see the day but as the Lok Sabha election is due in the first half of 2024 and in the second half of 2024 there is the Vidhan Sabha election as well, it is very much expected that political parties may go for demanding reduction of per unit cost of electricity for their electoral bond with the voters.

Sources said the Punjab election was fought on the issue of high-tariff of electricity and the party which promised relief in terms of free electricity, got into power there in Punjab.

Zero bills

Back here, the Jharkhand government has also announced zero bills for 100 units.

However, it is to be understood as to who the lucky consumers are to avail of this zero-electricity bill for 100 units.

The executive engineer of JUVNL, Shambhu Nath Chowdhury, explained it in very simple terms when he said, “This zero-electricity bill for 100 units is for consumers who have below 100 units consumption.”

Chowdhury further said, “Many consumers believe that this free 100 units are to be deducted from their 200, 300, 400 etc units. No. It’s not like any of such deductions. It’s a daydreaming only. These free 100 units are for consumers who consume 100 units of electricity every month. For consumers having just 101 units consumption per month have to pay the bill without even a single unit relief for paying the bill.”

Also Read: Two intruders breach Lok Sabha security, release smoke from canisters

The proposed increase in tariff is no guarantee that outstanding dues running in crores here to become any single digit rather an increased tariff may mean a further piling of electricity dues.

There are 8,000 defaulter consumers of electricity here in the Daltonganj division owning crores of rupees of the electricity department.

The gap between the payment of bills and unpaid bills gets wider and wider with every passing month.

The new proposed tariff will further add to the accumulation of the dues. The Jharkhand Electricity Regulatory Commission should instead focus on the recovery of its crores and crores of dues first.

JERC visits Daltonganj

Jharkhand Electricity Regulatory Commission Chairman Amitav Kumar Gupta and his team were in Daltonganj recently to hold a public hearing in this regard to the proposed new tariff. The audience was modest and confused. There was a consumer who cried over his inflated bill. He like others didn’t apply his mind as to what or how much the new proposed tariff would lessen his pocket.

The deliberation on the proposed new tariff was almost one-sided in the Jan Sunwai where the technocrats spoke more while the audience gave them a patient hearing only.