Power tariff may get 10 pc hike
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 18 2016: The current power tariff may get a 10 percent hike after the Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited (MSPDCL) Imphal filed a petition for the approval of Aggregate Revenue Requirement (ARR) and Tariff Petition for distribution and retail supply business for the financial year 2016-17 before the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission for Manipur and Mizoram.

Hike of power tariff was deliberated during the 16th meeting of the State Advisory Committee (SAC) for the State of Manipur held today at Regency Hall, Classic Hotel, Imphal, which was attended by members of both the companies of Manipur and Mizoram, and SAC.

Retail supply tariff for financial year 2016-17 for MSPDCL was determined.

Recovery of transmission ARR was made as MSPDCL is the only long term transmission user of the company.

The ARR of Rs 51.98 crore was proposed to be recovered entirely from MSPDCL as fixed monthly charges.

In the third agenda, 100 percent metering of consumers was proposed as MSPDCL has plans for providing single phase and three phase Pre-Paid energy meters for consumers in greater Imphal areas and thirteen town in the valley and for providing one lakh single phase I-port electronic energy meter for consumers outside town areas of the valley and in district headquarters and towns of all hill districts under State plan.

Further feeder metering, distribution transformer metering and reduction of distribution loss were proposed.

In order to reduce high distribution loss prevailing in the State at present, the MSPDCL put forward to take up plan for Pre-Paid metering covering all households in the four districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur under R-APDRP part-B and State Plan.

All hill districts headquarters and towns will be covered by Pre-Paid metering under State Plan-2.MSPDCL has engaged 44 sub-contractors to execute the works of the first phase of State Plan-2 within the target date of May 2016.Replacement of AAC by AB cables and damaged MS-poles or wooden poles by new MS-poles was also conducted in different areas.

Further the meeting discussed on the steps which need to be taken up against power theft.

Chairperson of Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission for Manipur and Mizoram RK Kishore in a brief interaction with media persons stated that the 10 percent hike on tariff was proposed as there is less production of power in Manipur and loss is incurred as huge power is injected from other suppliers.

To narrow down the gap of loss, the proposal was made, he added.

The State Government has been giving subsidy to MSPDCL to procure power from different sources; to limit the subsidy and allow the company to stand on its own the hike was proposed, he said.

Facing severe shortage of manpower the company has been facing serious limitations in providing service to public.

He further stated that the answer to the question of sustenance and survivability of the company depends on the co-operation and support of general public.

The fate of MSPDCL entirely depends on public, he added.

The public hearing on tariff petition of MSPDCL financial year 2016-17 is scheduled to be held tomorrow at the Regency Hall, Classic Hotel, Imphal.

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