Maharashtra's more than 3.11 lakh industrial consumers will get a partial relief as they would get electricity during 10 pm and 6 am cheaper by Rs 2.50 per unit from January 1. The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) in its order in August had given relief of Re 1 in the tariff charged by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MahaVitaran) to industrial consumers. However, MahaViataran had pleaded for increase in relief to Rs 2.50 per unit from Re 1 per unit granted by MERC.
MahaVitaran charges Rs 7 to 8.50 per unit to high tension consumers. A MahaVitaran official told Business Standard, "MERC has approved night relief of Rs 2.50 per unit to industries from 1o pm to 6 am. The company had proposed this incentive in the annual revenue requirement but MERC had approved only Re 1 in August."
MERC's revised order comes at a time when industries from state had voiced against the higher electricity tariff compared to other states. Industries had observed a day's bandh in October.
R B Goenka, chairman, energy cell, Vidarbha Industries Association (VIA), admitted that Rs 2.50 per unit reduction is a partial relief. "If the industrial unit operates in three shifts the actual relief comes to 50 paise which is definitely a relief. However, tariff charged to industries is still high in the state compared to other states," he noted. Goenka informed that VIA had supported MahaVitaran's plea for increasing relief in tariff to Rs 2.50 per unit from Re 1 per unit during 10 pm to 6 am.
MERC in August had revised MahaVitaran's tariff charged to industrial consumers. The high-tension consumers are charged Rs 8.50 a unit compared to Rs 5.75 in Karnataka, Rs 5-5.30 in Gujarat and Rs 4.50-4.80 in Chhattisgarh.
