Power tariff will increase in Delhi, AAP minister Atishi Marlena blames central authorities for ‘mismanagement’

On June 22, Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DREC) allowed electrical energy firms to extend tariffs in Delhi. The new tariff will have an effect on shoppers dwelling in South Delhi, West Delhi, the trans-Yamuna space, previous Delhi, and New Delhi. Reports counsel that the tariff will improve by 10% in areas the place BSES supplies electrical energy.

Power Minister of New Delhi Atishi Marlena mentioned the change in tariff wouldn’t have an effect on the shoppers, particularly those that had been getting zero payments. In a press release, a Delhi authorities official advised ANI, “Consumers will not be directly affected by this increase. Under the Power Purchase Agreement, electricity prices keep increasing and decreasing. Electricity becomes cheaper in winter, while the price increases slightly in summer. Every quarterly review shows a marginal increase or decrease in the prices under the power purchase agreement.”

The approval from DREC was given based mostly on requests submitted by MYPL and BRPL. The new tariff will stay in impact until March 2024. BYPL shoppers must pay 9.42% further for electrical energy, whereas BRPL shoppers must pay a 6.39% further tariff. Consumers within the NDMC area pays a 2% further tariff. Consumers dwelling in North and Northwest Delhi, the place TPDDL supplies electrical energy, is not going to get affected by the value change.

Delhi energy minister Atishi Marlena blamed the central authorities for the value hike. She claimed that the central authorities has a mandate of mixing 10% of imported coal into home coal for energy firms. She additional claimed that whereas home coal prices Rs 2,000 per tonne, imported coal prices round Rs 25,000 per tonne.

#WATCH | “The electrical energy tariff in Delhi is rising solely due to the mismanagement of the Central authorities and the rising charges of coal blocks…There is not any scarcity of coal mines in India then why is the value of coal rising, why the electrical energy producing… pic.twitter.com/Ml7dgEFjhB

— ANI (@ANI) June 26, 2023

The 10% mandate that Atishi talked about was withdrawn in August 2022. A brand new mandate is in place to mix a most of 6% of imported coal. The central authorities issued the order on January 9, 2023, requiring all energy firms to make use of imported coal to the extent of 6% of their requirement. It will stay in impact till September this yr.

As per the Money Control report from June 5, the facility firms managed to mix a mean of three% of imported coal. The purpose was to save lots of home coal for peak season. Thus the declare of accusing the central authorities of the rise in value is deceptive. Though energy firms couldn’t comply totally with the orders, India managed to save lots of 46 MT of home coal. 

Freebie coverage of the AAP

AAP has remained in energy for a very long time as a consequence of its free electrical energy coverage. The freebie coverage has put loads of monetary strain on the Delhi Government and Punjab Governments as AAP replicated it within the state. Not to neglect, AAP tweaked its free electrical energy coverage in Delhi, and it’s obtainable solely to those that opted for it.

The energy tariff was elevated in Punjab as nicely. In Punjab, too, the shoppers will proceed to get free electrical energy. The burden, nonetheless, has been placed on the state authorities. It must be understood that nothing comes free. The subsidy the AAP authorities is offering must be earned from different sources.

The same state of affairs has been created in Congress-ruled Karnataka, the place Congress promised free electrical energy however elevated the tariff quickly after it got here to energy. In April this yr, the tariff was additionally elevated in Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh. Congress can also be offering free electrical energy as much as some items in Himachal.