Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Saturday, Jan 11, 2003
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Saturday, Jan 11, 2003 |
|
|
|
|
|
Industry & Economy
-
Power CESC seeks further hike in power tariff Our Bureau
KOLKATA, Jan. 10 EVEN as the issue of the dismantling of cross-subsidisation continues to trouble the political parties here, and a bandh is being observed today on this account, CESC, the power utility around which the entire controversy is centred, has asked for another round of tariff hike. The RPG Group-controlled utility has filed a petition with the West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (WBERC) asking for a 10.5 per cent increase for 2002-03 and a 13.3 per cent increase for 2003-04. The WBERC, in its recent order allowed CESC a tariff of Rs 3.90 paise per unit for 2001-02, while dismantling cross-subsidisation altogether. The State Government has said that it was now working out its game plan to block the move seeking to remove subsidies across all categories. The options before it include approaching the High Court and, seeking a review petition from WBERC. Meanwhile, two bandhs have been called in the State, one today and another on January 27 by two political parties, to protest the WBERC order and also what these parties see as the State Government's inaction in the matter. The parties, one of which is Ms Mamata's Banerjee's Trinamul Congress and another a breakaway faction of the CPI(M) feel that the State Government had allowed matters to drift. The All-Bengal Electricity Consumers Association backed by the SUCI has also called for a bandh on January 27. Alongwith CESC, the other utilities operating in the State have also filed petitions with the WBERC asking for tariff hikes. While the West Bengal State Electricity Board has asked for a 61 per cent increase, the West Bengal Power Development Corporation has asked for a 33 per cent increase. Durgapur Projects Ltd has asked for a 48 per cent increase for this year and a 34 per cent increase for 2003-04.
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
|
Stories in this Section |
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | Home |
Copyright © 2003, The
Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu Business Line
|