Odisha moves OERC for review of tariff hike for agri sector

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Apr 16:

The Odisha government filed a review petition with the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) today for reconsidering the hike in power tariff for the agricultural sector, Energy minister Pranab Prakash Das informed here today.

“Keeping in view the interests of the farmers of the state, the government today filed a review petition with the OERC to roll back the hike for agricultural sector and adjust the same by cross subsidizing in the tariff order,” Das told the media here.

“There should be no politics over it. Our government is always committed to protect the interests of the farmers. The decision to file the review petition was taken as per the announcement made in the Assembly recently,” Das added.

The OERC had on March 24 announced the new electricity tariff for the 2015-16 financial year raising the tariff by 20 paise per unit for consumers in the domestic category while hiking tariff for the farming sector by 40 paise per unit, the first hike in 15 years.

Bowing down to the Opposition demand on March 30, the Energy minister had announced in the state Assembly that the government would file a review petition with the OERC seeking withdrawal of the hike announced for the agricultural sector.

Meanwhile, the state unit BJP organised a protest rally from the party office here to the CESU headquarters. There was a scuffle between prty workers and the police when the former tried to barge into the office.

“We had submitted a memorandum to th Governor and had sat on dharna demanding the roll back of the tariff hike. The other important issue is the embezzlement of Rs 2200 by officials of the Energy department. There must be a thorough and independent probe into the scam,” BJP leader Pruthviraj Harichandan said.