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Despite large scale protest against power tariff hike, state-run Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (CSERC) on Monday decided to effect on average 14 per cent increase for all categories of customers.
While the domestic consumers have to pay around 11 per cent more, the industrial consumers would pay 14 per cent more electricity bill on average from different categories. "The new power tariff would come into effect from June 1," V K Shrivastava, member of CSERC, said.
The biggest shock would be received by the common people who would have to pay more for the power consumed in the "power surplus" state. The consumers using 0 to 40 units of power would pay Rs 3 per unit against the old tariff of Rs 2.70 per unit while those consuming more than 600 units of power would have to pay Rs 6.50 per unit.
The farmers would also feel the heat. The commission had decided to hike the power tariff by whopping around 34 per cent for the agriculture consumers. As against the existing tariff of Rs 2.55 per unit, agriculture consumers would now pay Rs 3.41 for a single unit of power consumer from next month.
The industrialists facing recession in the state found no respite as the commission had hike tariff for all categories of industrial consumers. The steel units consuming power in the category of 220/132 KV consumer would pay 14.34 per cent more electricity bill. The power tariff had been hiked from Rs 5.09 to Rs 5.82 per unit.
Similarly, the steel makers categories in the list of 33/11 KV consumers would pay Rs 5.34 per unit against the existing tariff of Rs 4.32 - an increase of about 23 per cent. Cement and other industries would also pay 13 per cent more.
The new power tariff had been announced despite strong protest from the consumers who had raised objection during the public hearings conducted by the commission. The members of the opposition Congress party had even stormed the venue of public hearing and created ruckus.
