With the polls wrapping up in the national Capital, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) is set to issue a public notice in a day or two, inviting suggestions and objections on the tariff petitions submitted by the power discoms. The process is expected to go on for a month after which public hearing will begin. Officials of the Commission informed that the announcement of tariff revision for this year may come out by June end.
“All the petitions have been uploaded on the website long ago. Now since the polling day in Delhi is over, so by Thursday we will be issuing public notice seeking feedback of the people on the petitions submitted by power utilities,” said a DERC official. The DERC will accept people’s suggestions and comments till mid-May after which it will begin with daily public hearings on various leading to the final tariff revision.
Meanwhile, Delhiites will get respite from another tariff hike for a few months as the power regulator may take nearly three months to finally come up with the new tariffs. “After feedback on the petitions is sought, it will take approximately three months for the new tariff to be announced. After the public shares its observations, a hearing will be held with all stakeholders and activists to let them have their say. The announcement will be possible only by June end or early July,” said a source. By then, the General Elections in the country too will be over, he added.
City dwellers will have to brace for an imminent hike in electricity costs as the DERC had proposed a provisional liquidation of Rs 8,000 crore worth of regulatory assets for the discoms over a span of eight years. This could lead to a steady increase in tariff over the next few years.