The power tariff in the State is set to rise again from April this year as the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) started public hearing on tariff proposals of the distribution companies, bulk supplier Gridco, and generators, Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC), Odisha Power Transmission Company (OPTCl) on Thursday.
The hearings, which will be held in various sittings, would continue till February 11.
On the first day of the hearing the OHPC and OPGC put their tariff hike proposals before the Commission.
According to sources, the OHPC has requested the OERC for a hike from existing 82.57 paise to `1.43 per unit.
“We have proposed for a hike of 73 paise. We have put our problems and reasons for the hike proposal,” said OHPC Manager (Operation) Ashwini Mishra. Bulk supplier Gridco would keep its proposals on Friday. The OERC is expected to give its verdict in March and the new rates would be effective from April 1, 2016.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Rajya Bidyut Upobhakta Mahasangha and the Power Employees’ Association have started protesting the public hearing of the OERC.
The activists have staged demonstration in front of the OERC office shouting anti-Government and OERC slogans.
“Power tariff has been hiking at the cost of genuine power customers only to save companies. We will protest until the power tariff proposal for 2016-17 lifted,” said Mahasangha president Panchanan Kanungo.
“The commission will examine all the guidelines and take a decision accordingly,” said OERC Secretary Guruprasad Mishra.