Electricity Regulatory Commission can't suo motu fix power tariff: TelanganaTransco

Hyderabad: The TS Electricity Regulatory Commission’s decision to suo motu finalise the power tariff structure for 2017-18 is likely to turn controversial. TSTransco officials said that ERC cannot take suo motu decision on power tariff without they submitting the proposals. The ERC had extended the deadline for the TSTransco to submit the tariff proposals thrice, and had set February 23 as the final deadline. When the TSTransco failed to meet the final deadline and submit the tariff proposals, the ERC dispatched a letter to the power utilities.
In its letter, the ERC made it clear that it would have to take suo motu decision on fixing the power tariff.

Both Southern and Northern Discoms of Telangana had submitted Aggregate Revenue Requirement reports to the ERC in November 2016, but did not submit the power tariff proposals. ERC sources said on the basis of ARR reports, it would finalise the power tariff for 2017-18. However, TSTransco officials say that the ERC has to finalise the tariff on the basis of proposals submitted by them. They insist that the ERC cannot take a decision on the basis of ARR reports.

Meanwhile, TSTransco and TSGenco chairman and managing director D. Prabhakar Rao said that they will submit the power tariff proposals to ERC very soon. Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Prabhakar Rao said that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao told them not to burden the power consumers and they are analysing the situation. To a question, he said the rough tariff proposals too have not been prepared due to demonetisation and the state joining the UDAY scheme. Mr Prabhakar Rao said that the ERC cannot suo motu finalise the tariff.