Hyderabad: Following Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s directions, there will be no hike in the power tariff in FY 2019-20. Mr Rao has also directed the distribution companies (discoms) to continue with the existing tariff.
The revised tariff usually kicks in from April 1 but the discoms have not submitted their annual revenue requirement report to the Electricity Regulatory Commission.
Mr Rao asked the discoms to inform the ERC accordingly. As per the rules, discoms have to submit their ARRs before the end of November for the subsequent financial year. The ERC will conduct public hearings on the discoms’ proposals. The proposals are finalised in March.
However, due to the Assembly elections and the Lok Sabha elections, the discoms had requested the ERC to extend the deadline for the submission of their revenue requirement reports.
The ERC is vacant, and the appointment of its chairman and two members is in process. Keeping this in view, Mr Rao directed the discoms not to hike the tariff.
Special Chief Secretary, energy, Ajay Misra has written to the discoms on the power tariff issue. The state government has assured the discoms that it would continue the existing concessions and compensate them for the losses incurred by the Discoms. The state government has not hiked power tariff in the last two years.
