No hike in power tariff

HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission (TSERC) did not increase retail supply tariff for the 2023-24 financial year which covers the period of the Assembly elections scheduled in December.  

Besides, the state government decided to pay the pending true-up charges of Rs 12,718.40 crore, something that the electricity distribution companies (discoms) had wanted to collect from consumers. These charges were pending for 15 years.

Speaking to reporters here on Friday, TSERC chairman T. Sriranga Rao said that the commission had determined the retail supply tariff after taking into consideration the subsidy commitment of state government. The commission then approved the aggregate revenue requirement (ARR) claimed by state discoms.

The southern and northern discoms had claimed ARR of Rs 54058.35 crore and the commission approved Rs 52006.76 crore, he explained. The commission is tasked with determining the tariffs and safeguarding consumers’ interests while ensuring the recovery of cost of electricity.

The government consented for a subsidy commitment of Rs 9,124.82 crore, Sriranga Rao explained. The subsidy commitment has increased by Rs 903.65 crore for agriculture and low tension domestic categories, he said.

Sriranga Rao said that the state government was committed to support the discoms without burdening the consumers over a period of five years. By considering the stakeholders, the commission decides to again refer the matter of grid support charges to the grid coordination committee, he said.

Sriranga Rao said the tariff of Rs 6.4 per unit was decreased to Rs 5 for religious places. Green tariff was extended to all categories of consumers and discoms directed to issue green energy certificates on monthly basis, he said.