State to study uniform power tariff models 2 Jul 2009, 0041 hrs IST, Prafulla Marpakwar, TNN Print Email Discuss Share Save Comment Text: MUMBAI: A week after directing the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) to examine if Reliance Infrastructure has overcharged its consumers, state energy minister Sunil Tatkare is now drafting an action plan for uniform power tariff for consumers in the metropolis. Besides, Tatkare is also planning to direct MERC to examine the electricity rates prescribed by BEST and Tata Power. "In principle, I feel that electricity tariff in the city should be uniform. It is wrong for consumers in the same city to pay different rates,'' he told TOI. Tatkare pointed out that after he took over the reins of the energy department, he found that in major cities across the country, particularly New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata, electricity rates were uniform though different agencies were supplying power. "It's only in Mumbai that consumers are paying different rates depending upon the agency supplying power,'' he said. Tatkare has asked officials of his department to visit these cities and obtain information on electricity tariff vis-a-vis rates charged by the power companies and the formula adopted to provide power at uniform tariff. "I have given my officials a week's time to gather the information. Once the exercise is over, we will decide the course of action on having a uniform power tariff,'' he said. Currently, Reliance charges Rs 7.06 per unit, BEST Rs 6.34, Tata Power Rs 4.46 and MSEB between Rs 2.5 and Rs 6 depending upon the category of the consumer. Tatkare said if there were specific complaints of overcharging against Tata Power or BEST, he was prepared to issue orders to MERC. "For the government, all companies are on a par. If there are irregularities, we will take stern action against the erring firms,'' he added. Chief minister Ashok Chavan and Tatkare stepped in after protests launched by the Shiv Sena to protest against the power tariff charged by Reliance turned violent. Simultaneously, MNS president Raj Thackeray called on Tatkare to demand parity in power tariff. It was brought to the notice of Tatkare that Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit and her Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi had intervened to ensure that there were uniform power rates for all consumers a long time ago. prafulla.marpakwar@timesgroup.com Click here to comment on this story. Print Email Discuss Share Save Comment Text: Comments to the Editor Be the first to write to the Editor.

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