BRS urges ERC not to accept tariff hike proposals of Discoms

BRS opposes tariff hike proposals by Telangana power companies, warning of economic slowdown if approved by regulator.

HYDERABAD

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has termed the tariff hike proposals submitted by the two power distribution companies to the Telangana Electricity Regulatory Commission (TERC) as impediments to the State’s progress as they have the potential to slowdown the growth of various economic sectors, if approved by the regulator.

A team of BRS leaders led by party’s working president K.T. Rama Rao and including MLAs G. Jagadish Reddy, K. Laxmi, K. Venkatesh Yadav, M. Gopinath, Dr. K. Sanjay, P. Kaushik Reddy, former legislators B. Suman, G. Kishore Kumar and party leaders O. Narasimha Reddy and others requested the Commission Chairman T. Sriranga Rao and Members M.D. Manohar Raju and B. Krishnaiah not to accept the proposals made by the Discoms as they would burden all categories of consumers.

Speaking to newspersons later, Mr. Rama Rao said the proposal to increase the fixed charges from ₹10 a month to ₹50 to the domestic category consumers was very high and the proposals to bring parity in the tariff to all categories of industries was also detrimental to the State’s progress. He sought to know the justification in collecting the same tariff from cottage industries, MSMEs and major industries. Such a move would kill the MSMEs, he felt.

He mentioned that the previous BRS Government did not allow the power utilities to burden the consumers with ₹12,500 crore true up charges as then Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao did not allow the burden to be laid on consumers, and instead the State Government took the burden by paying the Discoms ₹1,000 crore a month additionally.

The BRS leader stated that the party would also participate in the public hearing to be held on October 23 and 24 at Hyderabad and Nizamabad on retail supply tariff and argue against the tariff hike proposals submitted by the Discoms.