UPERC orders rollback of electricity duty

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Authority (UPERC) has directed the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation to withdraw domestic electricity duty (5%) from domestic consumers and (7.5%) electricity duty from farmers, giving them temporary relief from the hike in power tariff.

On the petition of Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad, the UPERC has ordered the rollback which was not justified. A letter was shot to the principal secretary, energy, Sanjay Agarwal by secretary UPERC, Sanjay Srivastava on the directives of chairman UPERC Desh Deepak Varma to withdraw the electricity duty imposed by UPPCL.

Chairman, Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad Avadhesh Kumar Varma said that now it was up to the state government to direct the UPPCL to respect the verdict of the UPERC and withdraw the electricity duty from the bills of common consumers.

However, MD UPPCL AP Mishra said that he was yet to receive the order so he was not in a position to comment on the issue.

Meanwhile, the UPERC has reprimanded the Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration in view of dismal performance of state distribution licensees under reduction of aggregate technical and commercial losses. It has decided to initiate the proceedings under section 142 of the Electricity Act 2003.