HYDERABAD: A day after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy threatened to sack Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission (TSERC) chairman Tanneeru Sriranga Rao, the commission issued a press statement stating that it functions as per the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003 and discharging its duties fearlessly, without any bias, with utmost integrity, honesty and devotion to work.
“It is unfortunate that recently certain video clippings went viral making certain allegations against TSERC and its chairman, with regard to the commission’s orders on extending free electricity under Gruha Jyothi scheme, up to 200 units per month for eligible domestic households by issuing zero bill and with regard to free power to the agriculture sector in the state,” the ERC statement said.
“The ERC accepted the directions issued by the state government on Gruha Jyothi scheme, as it involves public interest and directed the distribution companies to effect the same,” it further said.
The ERC said that in case of agriculture sector, the retail supply tariff itself is zero, as there exists no energy metres for recording monthly consumption of energy by agriculture consumers. In all other schemes, the state government by way of reimbursement providing free power to SC/ST consumers and free electricity to hair cutting salons and others, it added.
It may be recalled that the chief minister on Sunday said that ERC wanted the state government to give subsidy amount first to the Discoms and later issue zero bills to consumers under Gruha Jyothi. But the ERC did not issue similar orders when the previous BRS government provided free power to farmers, he pointed out.
The ERC, however, clarified that zero bills were being issued under Gruha Jyothi and no zero bills were issued in other schemes.
The ERC did not mention CM’s remarks in its clarification, but stated that: “if any party is aggrieved by the order of the commission, he has right to appeal before appropriate authority.”