MRCC protest against the power hike at Azad Maidan
Mumbai Congress stage a protest march from Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan to Azad Maidan against the Mumbai electricity regulatory authority after it has allowed three utilities Tata Power, Reliance Infrastructure and Mahavitaran to increase their tariff with effect from this month. Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has approved an increase in tariff of 2.44 per cent for Mahavitaran, while 5.2 per cent and 3.92 per cent for RInfra and Tata Power (TPC), respectively and appealed Mumbaikars to come and joined him and protest against the hike.
“Government is hiking the electricity bill of Mumbaikars by 11 per cent, which will put extra burden on them. I appeal to the common people to come and protest with us against the hike and this government which is working along with industrialists,” said Sanjay Nirupam, who was leading the march.
“They had given relief to the industry and businessman and put burden on common man. This government is working against ‘aam aadmi’ and giving benefits to industrialists,” he added
Earlier Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted stating, “Major relief to common man!I welcome MERC’s order slashing electricity rates. Congrats to Energy Minister & officials for the continued efforts!”
After the 2014 polls, the new government withdrew the subsidy and the MSEDCL started levying additional charges in the bill from November 2014.
“The cost of power in Maharashtra has become dearer to consumers compared to other states like Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The power tariff in Maharashtra is 25-35% more than any other state,” said CMIA secretary Ritesh Mishra.
In fact, Karnataka, Goa and Gujarat do not have any coalmines or coal reserves of their own, yet their governments offer power at a much cheaper rate than Maharashtra. “Despite power being available in the state at an economical price, the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) is buying power at higher rates and passing the burden on to its consumers,” said Vikram Budhelia, one of the protesters.
Congress along with Sanjay Nirupam, a former MP from Mumbai North holds the protest in Mumbai against Reliance Energy and the Tata power company that provides electricity in his constituency. Their demands were that the power tariff should be cut in Mumbai as assured and tweeted by CM. His supporters protested across city, shouted slogans demanding reduction in power tariff. They burn the electricity bills of the same companies to register their protest.
Reliance Energy says reduction in power tariff is the prerogative of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission or MERC. The company has forwarded the MPs’ demand to the Maharashtra government, which has already formed a committee to look into the matter.
Reliance Energy supplies electricity to Mumbai’s suburbs, while Tata Power too supplies power to parts of Mumbai suburbs and some pockets of the island city. All distribution companies had put forward their proposals for tariff determination for 2015-16 to the MERC.
For RInfra consumers in Mumbai, the new tariffs are Rs. 4.79 (earlier tariff Rs. 4.61) for up to 100 units, Rs. 6.54 (Rs. 6.31) for up to 300 units, Rs. 8.26 (Rs 7.43) for up to 500 units and Rs. 10.08 (Rs. 9.25) for residents consuming more than 500 units.
It has also increased the fixed cost for all the three utilities for consumers using up to 100 units to Rs 50 from the current Rs 40.
For Mahavitaran, which distributes power from Bhandup to Thane and across Maharashtra, the new tariffs are Rs. 3.76 (Rs. 3.86) for consumers using up to 100 units, Rs. 7.21 (Rs. 7.20) for up to 300 units, Rs. 9.95 (Rs. 9.50) for up to 500 units and Rs. 11.31 (Rs. 10.33) for residents consuming more than 500 units.
MERC has allowed a reduction in tariff of Tata Power consumers using electricity up to 300 units. The revised revised tariffs are Rs. 2.05 (Rs. 2.62) for consumers using up to 100 units, Rs. 4.21 (Rs. 4.56) for up to 300 units, Rs. 8.42 (Rs. 8.19) for up to 500 units and Rs. 10.63 (Rs. 10.27) for residents consuming more than 500 units.
The new rates will now be applicable from June 1. “All three have different cost of supply and consumer mix. Hence, different tariffs for the same category of consumers,” MERC said in its order issued on Friday.
The Commission has, however, reduced the tariff for railway by 10 per cent from Rs 9.37 to Rs 8.46.
“Commission hopes this reduction may encourage expansion and electrification of rail routes in the state and strengthen the transportation infrastructure,” MERC said in the order for Mahavitaran. It has also created a category for mono and metro rails.
The state electricity regulator has reduced power tariffs for industrial users across the state while marginally hiking tariff for some categories of agricultural and residential consumers.
