In month of April , there will be increase in the rates of electricity. The Commission’s approval is going to be taken soon on the proposal of the Electricity Board to increase the rates by 90 paise per unit. Along with this, the commission is also keeping an eye on the changes that will happen after the imposition of water cess. There is a possibility of minimum increase of Re 1 in electricity rates due to water cess. If the state government bears the cost of the boom in the form of subsidy, the consumers will not be burdened. But if the state government is unable to decide on the subsidy, then the consumers will have to compensate for it and in this situation the rate of electricity bill will increase by Rs 1.90 with a tremendous jump. This will be the highest ever increase in electricity bills. However, correspondence is going on between the government and the Electricity Regulatory Commission to control this increase. Significantly, the state government has made preparations to impose water cess through the Jal Shakti Department. This bill has been approved in the assembly after necessary amendments. Water cess will be imposed on 172 power projects in the state and the state government has set a target of earning Rs 4,000 crore through cess from these projects. The government has fixed a water cess of 10 to 50 paise per cubic metre. Along with this levy of cess, the crisis now remains regarding the purchase of electricity from power projects. During the public hearing held in the Electricity Regulatory Commission, electricity consumers have called for not increasing the tariff. – hdm
The current tariff of the electricity board is 5.05 paise per unit from 126 units to 300. Out of this, the government gives Rs 1.10 as subsidy. That is, the consumer has to pay Rs 3.95 per unit. Now if 90 paise electricity board suggestion and Re 1 water cess are also added to this, then the rate of electricity in Himachal will be Rs 6.95 after 126 units. Now it remains to be seen what the state government decides on subsidy in the new tariff from April. If the state government increases the existing subsidy which is Rs 1.10, then the impact on the consumers will be less. Tariff for commercial consumers has been fixed at Rs 4.90 up to 20 KVA and Rs 5.05 up to 100 KV. In these, the government is giving 0.20 paise subsidy.
