GANGTOK, 29 Apr: The Sikkim State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SSERC) notified the Tariff Order for the financial year 2014-15 on 15 April earlier this month in response to the petition filed by the Energy & Power Department, the only deemed distribution authority of power in the state.
Good news for the consumers comes with the SSERC ‘retaining the same tariff with no enhancements’ for this financial year and maintaining a “balanced approach” for the overall benefit of the state’s consumers.
“We had increased the tariff previously and realized that increasing the same every financial year is not feasible in the overall interest of the general public,” informed Director (T), SSERC, Palchen D Chaktha, while speaking to NOW! today.
The Director further informs that the Energy & Power Department had filed the petition on 29 November last year seeking enhancement of the existing tariff which was admitted by the Commission on 10 December 2013 as case no: TR1/2014-15. Following this, the Commission issued a public notice calling a public hearing on 25 and 26 March at Chintan Bhawan earlier this year.
“The general public had been invited but even after so much awareness through the local media the participation was lukewarm. Maybe, it was because of the elections that made the participation from the stakeholders unsatisfactory and not as expected,” the Director (T) comments.
While stating that the Commission would shortly host its own website where all details related to the notification of the Tariff order would be put online for the convenience of the general public, Mr. Chaktha informed that the Commission would make all details available online very soon as work on the same was underway.
The Director (T) however stated that the Commission has set certain targets for the Energy & Power Department to increase power and revenue generation within this financial year and has set a series of guidelines with various recommendations to enhance the department’s overall performance.
“Instead of enhancing the tariff, the Commission has notified the Power department to improve its overall efficiency for the interest of the public. Enhancing the tariff every financial year did not seem feasible which is why the Commission has taken-up a balanced approach and the same has been notified,” stated Mr Chaktha.
Good news for the consumers comes with the SSERC ‘retaining the same tariff with no enhancements’ for this financial year and maintaining a “balanced approach” for the overall benefit of the state’s consumers.
“We had increased the tariff previously and realized that increasing the same every financial year is not feasible in the overall interest of the general public,” informed Director (T), SSERC, Palchen D Chaktha, while speaking to NOW! today.
The Director further informs that the Energy & Power Department had filed the petition on 29 November last year seeking enhancement of the existing tariff which was admitted by the Commission on 10 December 2013 as case no: TR1/2014-15. Following this, the Commission issued a public notice calling a public hearing on 25 and 26 March at Chintan Bhawan earlier this year.
“The general public had been invited but even after so much awareness through the local media the participation was lukewarm. Maybe, it was because of the elections that made the participation from the stakeholders unsatisfactory and not as expected,” the Director (T) comments.
While stating that the Commission would shortly host its own website where all details related to the notification of the Tariff order would be put online for the convenience of the general public, Mr. Chaktha informed that the Commission would make all details available online very soon as work on the same was underway.
The Director (T) however stated that the Commission has set certain targets for the Energy & Power Department to increase power and revenue generation within this financial year and has set a series of guidelines with various recommendations to enhance the department’s overall performance.
“Instead of enhancing the tariff, the Commission has notified the Power department to improve its overall efficiency for the interest of the public. Enhancing the tariff every financial year did not seem feasible which is why the Commission has taken-up a balanced approach and the same has been notified,” stated Mr Chaktha.
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