The Maharashtra IndustrialDevelopment Corporation (MIDC) will soon purchase and distribute power at low tariff rates, state Industries Minister Subhash Desai told the Legislative Council on Friday.Desai made the announcement while replying to a calling attention raised by NCP's Kiran Pawaskar."The state-run Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) charges around Rs 9-10 per unit, while neighbouring states supply power at Rs 6-7 per unit," Desai said.To break this pattern, the state plans to procure a power distribution licence for MIDC to keep tariffs on lower side, he said.The MSEDCL claims that it has to give power subsidies to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore to farmers every year, making electricity costlier for industries, he said."We don't want to affect the growth of industries in the state in the name of subsidising power tariffs for farmers," the minister said.Once the MIDC gets power distribution rights, the state will be able to purchase power at lower rates and facilitate industries, he added.
