Panaji: In the election year, the Cave Electricity Department has recommended that electricity rates remain the same.
The department will not recover the direct income gap from consumers but through budget support.
In the electricity tariff proposal to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for the financial year of 2022-23, the department has proposed that it proposed to restore the cumulative income gap in Rs 360.13 Crore to 2022-23 through budget support from the state government.
Consumers have paid the same tariff since 2019 with the approved tariff for 2019-2020 still valid after the Cabinet, in order to improve economic activities in the state, decided to keep the tariff 2020-21 in the delay, except rates rates 3.50 / unit for the consumer category of electric vehicle charging station ‘.
For the financial year of 2020-21, the Department proposes a 3.8% increase but JERC approved an increase of 5.3% in energy and fixed cost of household and commercial connections including low connections and high voltage.
However, the cabinet in August 2021 decided not to apply tariffs due to covid pandemics.
According to the latest electricity proposal, consumers will continue wage tariffs as low as rs 1.40 / kWh plus fixed bills rs 25 per month, for single phase meters.
The Commission so that the tariff in 2020-21 approved a tariff increase of 5.3% against the department proposed by 3.8%, noting that the proposed department to restore was only part of RS 342.3 Crore, namely Rs 75.6 Crore through rates and rs remaining 167 crore through budget support.
At that time, the Commission said that in the case of this gap must be entirely fulfilled by consumer income, the increase will be more steeply 23.5%.
JERC when it has warned the Department of Overreliance on budget support and suggested the department to “prepare for the impact in terms of government withdrawing budget support in the future”.
Meanwhile, JERC called on objections, comments and suggestions about the electrical department petition and the proposed tariff to be sent by registered mail or via email at SECY.Jercuts@gov.in on or before Jan 23.
A general session will be held through the conference video at 24 January at 11 am.
Petitions available at the www.jercuts.gov.in commission site and department www.goaelectricity.gov.in site