For the second consecutive year, the Puducherry government has hiked power tariff to raise revenue. The order came into effect from June 1.
While the tariff of domestic consumption up to 100 units was left untouched, the government introduced a fixed additional charge - Rs 10 per month for consumption up to 200 units and Rs 15 for over 200 units. The tariff for consumption up to 100 units stays at 60 paise per unit.
For those in the 101-200 units slab, the tariff is 95 paise, a hike of five paise.
The revised tariff for the 201-300 units slab is Rs 1.80; and that for over 300 units Rs 2.35, up by 35 paise.
Commercial consumers would now have to pay a revised fixed charge of Rs 30, which is up by Rs 5.
For commercial consumers in the under-100 units slab, the tariff has been hiked to Rs 2.50 from Rs 2.15 earlier. In the 101-250 units slab, the new tariff is Rs 3.70, up from Rs 3.15. Consumers using more than 250 units will now have to pay a revised tariff of Rs 4.30, up by 65 paise.
For agricultural consumers, the fixed charge for small farmers has been doubled to Rs 50 from Rs 25, while for other farmers the new price is Rs 200.
A new category of consumers which includes cottage industries, horticulture and poultry farms has also been introduced. In this category the fixed charge will now be Rs 10 for consumption up to 200 units and Rs 15 for above 200 units.
The tariff is as follows: up to 100 units - 60 paise; 101-200 units - 95 paise; 201-300 units - Rs 1.80; and over 300 units - Rs 2.35 per unit.
A new category, in temporary supply, ‘Lavish Illumination’ has been introduced and its tariff is Rs 7.50 per unit.
In the low tension category, the minimum and maximum are Rs 3.40 and Rs Rs 3.80 per unit, as compared to Rs 2.60 and Rs 2.90 earlier.
Meanwhile, the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for Goa and Union Territories on Wednesday directed the electricity department to bring out a status paper on the transformers in operation in the UT.
V K Garg, chairman of the JERC, issued the direction at a public hearing convened to receive suggestions on the tariff at which energy could be purchased from a solar plant that was to be set up by a private firm in Karaikal.
Garg also directed top department officials to engage a consultant to study the state of transformers in the UT and furnish details to the consumers.