Srinagar, Feb 5:The Power Development Department (PDD) on Sunday decided to file a petition in the Jammu and Kashmir State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) seeking fresh hike in power tariff for the next fiscal (2012-13).
This will be the second power tariff in five months following increase of tariff in both domestic and commercial categories last October.
In the petition PDD has proposed an average increase of 18 percent tariff hike in domestic metered consumers and 10 percent for non-domestic (commercial) metered consumers. In the metered areas PDD has proposed a hike Rs 0.37/ KW/Hr to make it Rs 2.13/ KW/Hr next fiscal against the existing tariff of Rs 1.76/KW/Hr.
 In non-metered areas power tariff hike has been proposed in flat rate. PDD petition proposes an average flat rate of Rs 760/ month for un-metered domestic consumers with load ½ KW to 2KW.
 For commercial consumers, the department has sought a fixed proposed rate of Rs 44/KW/month in single phase and Rs 102/KW/month in case of three phases.
 The department has also issued a public notice in various local dailies inviting objections and comments from various stakeholders including common masses and business community on the proposed tariff hike.
 Every year the PDD file a petition informing about Annual Revenue Requirements to the JKSERC and publish a public notice in this regard.
 “JKPDD is yet to demonstrate its resolve and commitment to reform the power sector in the state. As a government department with an assured budgetary support from the Government, it has not been able to improve its operational efficiencies in the absence of a compulsion to generate additional revenue for its financial health and survival,” SERC observed several times.
 There has been a substantial increase in the T&D losses over the years which have gone up from 60.55 6 percent in 2010-11 to 56.76 percent in 2011-12. JKPDD has further proposed a loss level of 52.82 percent for 2012-13.
 The department has also proposed Rs 7.71/ unit Power Purchase Cost for 2012-13 against the proposed Rs 8.74/ unit.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 5 Feb 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 5 Feb 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 6 Feb 2012 00:00:00 IST