Opposition demands immediate rollback of power tariff hike in Odisha

In a scathing attack on the BJD Government, president of OPCC Niranjan Patnaik said the consumers are penalised for the inefficiency of the discoms.
Representational image (Photo | EPS)
Representational image (Photo | EPS)

BHUBANESWAR: The Opposition BJP and Congress mounted an attack on the State Government for effecting hike in power tariff amid Covid pandemic situation and threatened to launch a massive protest if the order of the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) is not reversed forthwith.

The BJP on Friday said the State Government is penalising the consumers who are struggling for survival due to economic disruption. “The Government decided to further burden the consumers by increasing the power tariff when the Centre provided much needed relief to the discoms to overcome the financial crisis due to the pandemic situation,” State BJP spokesperson Golak Mohapatra said.

Without mentioning the power tariff hike, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted, “A rebate of Rs  84.93 crore offered by PSUs of @MinOfPower (NHPC 3.78 crore + NTPC 56.8 crore + PGCIL 24.35 crore) to DISCOMS in Odisha for power purchase during the lockdown period will provide much-needed relief to the distressed power utility sector in the state.”

He said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to provide continuous supply of power to Odisha and also fulfil additional power demand by industrial, commercial and domestic consumers as a result of uptick in economic activities post lifting of the lockdown.”The BJP asked the BJD Government to justify the power tariff hike when Gridco has an outstanding of Rs  5963.21 crore on the four discoms with CESU (now TPCODL) being the major defaulter with Rs  2,660 crore.

The imposition of enhanced energy charge on consumers came at a time when 26 big industries have arrears of Rs  2949.66 crore. These defaulters have succeeded to obtain a stay order from the courts with the help of the State government, Mohapatra said.

In a scathing attack on the BJD Government, president of OPCC Niranjan Patnaik said the consumers are penalised for the inefficiency of the discoms.

Patnaik said Odisha after pioneering power sector reforms in the late 90s is still incurring highest technical and commercial loss of over 35 per cent while loss level in Delhi is in the range of 8 to10 per cent.However, Energy Minister D S Mishra said the power tariff has been increased by only four per cent after seven years. 

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