Traders oppose UPPCl move to fix MCC

Traders and business establishments in the state are up in arms against the UP Power Corporation limited (UPPCl) proposal to the State Electricity Regularity Commission to fix minimum consumption charge (MCC) for commercial consumers at the rate of Rs 600 per kilowatt.

Under the proposal, commercial consumers will have to pay fixed charges at the rate Rs 600 per kilowatt even if they do not use electricity at all.Though the proposal is still before the SERC, the traders organisations have started building pressure to oppose it and are approaching other organisations for support.

Hitting out at the government move to target traders and business establishments in the state, the lucknow Vyapar Mandal said it would oppose the UPPCl proposal at all levels.

UP Rajya Vidhyut Upbhokta Parishad has opposed the proposal and demanded its “immediate withdrawal”.UPRVUP chairman Awadhesh Kumar Verma also disclosed that on July 31, 2013, the UPPCl had introduced informer effective scheme after the board’s approval to detect power theft by big consumers.

“It is unfortunate that the UP Government has to approach informers to get information about the power theft,” Verma said. 

The scheme failed even after the UPPCl announced cash award of Rs 100 per kilowatt in excess of 5 kilowatt if the informer gave correct information. later, the UPPCl had also announced to award motor-cycle and other articles to the informers but it did not pay off.