ALL POWER SUBSIDIES TO CONTINUE

The Discoms (TSSPDCL and TSNPDCL) submitted the Aggregate Revenue Requirement (ARR) and Retail Supply Tariff to TSERC for 202223.

However, the subsidies being extended by the state government to the agriculture sector, SC and ST domestic consumers, hair salons and laundries as well as concession of `2 per unit to power looms, poultry farms, spinning mills and others, will continue as usual.

About 25.78 lakh consumers are being benefitted from free and uninterrupted power supply to the agriculture sector. Similarly, free power supply will be provided to SC and ST domestic consumers up to 101 units per month as well as 250 units per month to salons run by the members of Nayi Brahmin community and laundries run by washermen (Rajaka) community.

Power tariff hike from April 1 appears to be inevitable as there has been no tariff revision in Telangana since 2015. TS Discoms are reeling under huge losses with no tariff revision for the last six years. The two waves of Covid pandemic also had a severe impact on the finances of the Discoms. Further, the Centre’s policies also led to the increase in power generation and transmission costs which include increase in clean energy cess from `50 per tonne to

`400 per tonne, coal cost by about `800 per tonne, railway freight charges by 40 per cent in the last four years and also increase in petrol and diesel prices.

The Discoms filed ARRs with a revenue deficit of `10,928 crore for 2022-23. While the Discoms are estimated to incur an expenditure of `53,054 crore to supply power, the revenue earnings are estimated at `42,196 crore at the present tariffs.

The tariff hike will help generate additional revenues of `6,831 crore and another `4,097 crore will be generated through government support and internal efficiency measures.