TS to hike power tariff, bus fares

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has given the go-ahead for hikes in power tariffs and RTC bus fares in the state.

Stating that while it was the responsibility of the state government to protect institutions like TSRTC and Discoms, the Chief Minister said even the citizens had to bear some of the burden to pull the institutions out of financial doldrums.

Mr Rao suggested not more than 7 per cent power tariff hike on indus- trial and IT consumers, minimal hike on domestic consumers with more than 100 units per month consumption and no hike for consumers with less than 100 units consumption per month.

Officials said about 60 lakh of the total 86 lakh connections in Telangana were of consumers who used less than 100 units per month and as such the power hike would not affect majority of the people in the state.

The TS Power Distribution Companies have sought a Rs 1958crore tariff hike for the 2016-17 financial year. As a result, the major burden of the tariff hike is going to be on the industrial and IT sectors.

When officials informed the CM that the industry sector was willing for a 10 per cent hike in power tariff, Mr Rao suggested that the hike for even the IT and industry sector should not be more than 7 per cent.

Meanwhile, TSRTC officials were told to ensure that the bus fare hike was not more than 10 per cent for all category of buses like luxury, super luxury, Garuda, Vennela, Metro, city buses, air conditioned and non-air-conditioned, except Palle Velugu.

For Palle Velugu buses, the CM suggested a Re-1 hike for up to 30-km travel and a Rs-2 hike for over 30km travel. He said the poor and a majority of people travelled in Palle Velugu buses so the hike should be minimal.

The Chief Minister asked officials of the power sector and TSRTC to work out percentages of the hike in power tariffs and bus fares and submit the same to him on Thursday.

As the Energy and Transport ministers were not present, he said the percentage of tariff hike would be announced in their presence on Thursday.

Chief Minister tells TSRTC officials to ensure that the bus fare hike was not more than 10 per cent for all category of buses.

He also suggested not more than 7 per cent power tariff hike on industrial and IT consumers, minimal hike on domestic consumers with more than 100 units.