Jagadish rules out hike in power charges during peak hours

Energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy made it clear that the state government would not implement the Centre’s recommendation to hike power charges by 20 per cent during peak hours. The Centre's decision would adversely affect the industrial sector as well as poor consumers, he said.

To save consumers from the burden of true-up charges, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had decided to pay the money from the state exchequer, he explained. The true-up charge is the difference between the cost of purchase of electricity and the power tariff, and is typically colleted at a later date.

Speaking to reporters at Suryapet on Sunday, Reddy said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to



power in 2014 assuring to provide required power and had criticised the tactics of previous government in power sector, he said. Now, the Modi government was serving businessmen and ignoring common consumers, Reddy said.

The BJP government had prepared a route map to withdraw all subsidies in the power sector, the minister alleged, while the BRS government had prevented its recommendation of installing power meters on agriculture connections.

The Centre was creating hurdles while seeking loans for Telangana power utilities, he alleged. The state government decision on hike in power charges during peak hours will be declared soon, he said.