New Power Tariff Rule Designed To Cheat Consumers, Says Odisha Congress

Bhubanewswar: A day after government announced new power tariff rules, senior Congress leader and former Odisha Minister Panchanan Kanungo on Saturday described it as a new plan designed to cheat the consumers.

The government has said the new electricity rules will allow for cuts in power tariffs of up to 20 per cent during the day and increases of up to 20 per cent during peak night hours.

The system is expected to reduce demand on the grid during peak times and help India work towards its target of achieving 65 per cent of its energy capacity from non-fossil fuels by 2030.

However, Kanungo told reporters that the consumers who use more energy at night, such as those who run air conditioners, could see their bills go up.

The new rules will also prove detrimental to people using solar power, he said, adding that the government will change the cross subsidy to put more burden on people.

Though power consumption is high in industrial units and factories, people use more electricity during the peak hours of night, the Congress leader said, adding that the new rules is designed to burden the domestic power users.

The new tariffs will come into effect from April 2024 for commercial and industrial consumers and a year later for most other consumers except those in the agricultural sector.