‘Reject power tarriff hike move’

BRS Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) has expressed concern over the proposed electricity tariff hike by the Congress government, which could impose a burden of Rs 18,500 crore on the public.
KTR urged the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) to reject the proposals put forth by the Congress government through power distribution companies (Discoms).
He along with BRS MLA Jagadish Reddy, other MLAs and senior BRS leaders met the ERC commission on Monday in Hyderabad and handed over a letter on behalf of the BRS.
KTR expressed apprehension about the nine proposals made by Discoms, which he believes would severely impact the public. One key proposal suggests increasing fixed charges for households consuming more than 300 units per month raising it from Rs 10 to Rs 50. KTR termed this
proposal as “highly dangerous” and warned that it would push ordinary households into financial problems.
Criticizing the proposals, KTR pointed out that grouping all industries under a single category for tariff purposes is an ill-conceived, unfair idea, which could harm the industrial sector.
KTR said that even Foxconn, a leading tech company, has not mentioned Telangana in its expansion plans and opted for states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
He attributed this to the government’s misguided policies, noting that some companies have already shifted out of Telangana after the Congress administration took office.
KTR also criticized the state government for its silence on the central government’s proposal to install meters on agricultural pumps.
He recalled that during KCR’s administration, proposals for tariff hikes were rejected.
“When Discoms proposed a True-Up charge of Rs 1,200 crore, KCR ensured that the government absorbed the cost without burdening the public,” KTR said.
KTR concluded by urging the ERC chairman not to approve the arbitrary hike in power tariffs.