The Tamil Nadu Electricity Consumer’s Association feels that the obligation placed for the use of solar lanterns in every household in grama panchayats is an indirect strategy to hike the tariff by the government. It added that the enforcement should be put in place only after consultation and noting the views of the consumers after a joint public hearing.
The President of TECA, D. Balasundaram points this out in a recent public hearing made to TNERC. He also hinted that the state is going towards an upward revision in the tariff and if this happens should be strictly criticized. The suo motu of the TECA should not deal with any hikes afterwards, they said.
TECA wants a fresh public hearing before the next set of enforcement take place. However, Balasundaram did not speak anything of the accruing cost benefits to the consumers. For consumers who pay the consumption charges, no tariff revisions should be functional and this is a conscious decision made by Tangedco. The organization could thus be assumed to bear all the losses that may arise out of the decision.
Balasundaram said that high-tension (HT) consumers had bore much of the restrictions and controls in the last five years. Though their number is just a mere 8,000 and amounting to 7 per cent of the total load, the 40 per cent cut burden is still huge on them. These people were also restricted from using full potential of the system during the peak periods and a relief with regards to tariff revision is more than mandatory.
