Big industrial units would have to give up concession of Rs 1.25 per kVAh Kuldip Bhatia Ludhiana, June 15 As the demand for electricity surges in Punjab due to extremely hot weather and paddy sowing, the medium and big industrial units would not only have to give up concession of Rs 1.25 per kVAh (unit) for power consumption during lean hours (10 pm to 6 am the next day), but would also have to shell out Rs 2.00 per kVAh extra for electricity consumed during peak hours (6 pm to 10 pm) under time of the day (ToD) tariff fixed for the period June 1 to September 30. Taking umbrage on the discriminatory ToD tariff for industry when most sectors of large and medium sector were facing a crisis-like situation, the representative bodies of the industry have cried foul and charged the government with betrayal and back-tracking from its commitment to provide cheap power (at Rs 5 per unit) to the ailing industry. In accordance with the tariff order for the financial year 2019-20 finalised by the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has issued a commercial circular notifying that the ToD tariff for non-residential (NRS), bulk supply (BS) consumers with sanctioned contract, demand exceeding 100 kVA, and all large supply (LS), medium supply (MS) consumers and all LS/MS consumers with contract demand exceeding 20 kVA. As per the ToD announced by the PSPCL on the basis of tariff order for the current financial year, all consumers eligible for ToD tariff would pay normal tariff from 6 am to 10 pm, and get a concession of Rs 1.25 per kVAh for elcritcity consumed from 10 pm to 6 am the next day for the months of April and May, and then again from October 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020. However, during the period June 1 to September 30, the consumers would be charged normal tariff from 6 am to 6 pm and from 10 pm to 6 am the next day, while the power consumed during peak hours (6 pm to 10 pm) would attract an additional charge of Rs 2.00 per kVAH. Terming the ‘discriminatory’ ToD tariff as the one which would inflict a killing blow to the ailing steel rolling and spinning mills (LS and BS consumers), Dev Gupta, general secretary of Northern India Induction Furnace Association, said: “Steel mills are already running under losses and any additional financial burden on them would prove disastrous and push them to a point of no return. It seems the Punjab government is out to penalise the industrial sector at the cost of agriculture.” Badish K Jindal, president of the Federation of Punjab Small Industries Association, said: “Most of the industrial units were not running to the capacity and with the government failing to honour its commitment of cheap power supply, there are tougher times ahead for all sectors of the industry.”

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