Telangana industry body seeks waiver of electricity penal charges
Updated: Sep 17, 2014 03:23:08pm
Hyderabad, Sept 17 (KNN) The Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises (FSME) has made a representation to the Chief Minister of Telangana, K Chandrashekar Rao seeking waiver of electricity penal charges to industries in the state.
FSME brought to the notice of the CM, the exorbitant penal charges levied on small and medium industries on the plea of exceeding the restrictions imposed by the Electricity Regulatory Commission during the period of 2012 and 2013, according to an official release.
The Federation referred to the meeting with the CM on July-7 when he made a declaration that all pending penal charges stand waived, advising all officials of his secretariat, industries and Transco not to force any industrial unit for the payment of penal charges pertaining to R&C measures and not to threaten the units with disconnection of power supply.
Notwithstanding the declaration, officials of DISCOMS continue to persuade industrial units to pay penal charges, although the issue has been taken to the notice of CMDS of TSTRANCO and TSSPDCL, said FSME.
“The penal charges imposed by DISCOMS are discriminatory and are in violation of the orders of ERC, since the violations by an industry limiting to a few hours in a day, has been penalised with 300 to 600 per cent of its whole month’s consumption. As per the orders of the ERC, the violation of demand on actual should be penalised but not on whole month basis,” the letter to the CM dated September-15 said.
The industry body also pointed out that some of the small scale units with below 150 hp load were initially covered under LT-III B category.
“For the purpose of imposing power restrictions, ERC clubbed both HT and LT-III in a single category and imposed 60 per cent load restrictions during power shortage period. The units that cannot operate their units with 60 per cent restrictions were given the option of working 4 to 5 days in a week with full contracted power.
“However, the orders of ERC for availing of this option only HT category was mentioned, skipping LT-III B category,” FSME stated.
As a result, the units under LT-III B category who worked on staggered working by exercising the option were also penalised on the pretext that their category is not contained in the ERC orders, it pointed out.
“Although all officials of DISCOMS who have been represented by FSME on this issue, were convinced that it is purely an omission, the penal bills have not been withdrawn till date and the problem remains unsolved,” it said.
Through the representation FSME has asked the CM to pass necessary instructions for strict implementation of his orders regarding pending penal charges. (KNN/ES)
FSME brought to the notice of the CM, the exorbitant penal charges levied on small and medium industries on the plea of exceeding the restrictions imposed by the Electricity Regulatory Commission during the period of 2012 and 2013, according to an official release.
The Federation referred to the meeting with the CM on July-7 when he made a declaration that all pending penal charges stand waived, advising all officials of his secretariat, industries and Transco not to force any industrial unit for the payment of penal charges pertaining to R&C measures and not to threaten the units with disconnection of power supply.
Notwithstanding the declaration, officials of DISCOMS continue to persuade industrial units to pay penal charges, although the issue has been taken to the notice of CMDS of TSTRANCO and TSSPDCL, said FSME.
“The penal charges imposed by DISCOMS are discriminatory and are in violation of the orders of ERC, since the violations by an industry limiting to a few hours in a day, has been penalised with 300 to 600 per cent of its whole month’s consumption. As per the orders of the ERC, the violation of demand on actual should be penalised but not on whole month basis,” the letter to the CM dated September-15 said.
The industry body also pointed out that some of the small scale units with below 150 hp load were initially covered under LT-III B category.
“For the purpose of imposing power restrictions, ERC clubbed both HT and LT-III in a single category and imposed 60 per cent load restrictions during power shortage period. The units that cannot operate their units with 60 per cent restrictions were given the option of working 4 to 5 days in a week with full contracted power.
“However, the orders of ERC for availing of this option only HT category was mentioned, skipping LT-III B category,” FSME stated.
As a result, the units under LT-III B category who worked on staggered working by exercising the option were also penalised on the pretext that their category is not contained in the ERC orders, it pointed out.
“Although all officials of DISCOMS who have been represented by FSME on this issue, were convinced that it is purely an omission, the penal bills have not been withdrawn till date and the problem remains unsolved,” it said.
Through the representation FSME has asked the CM to pass necessary instructions for strict implementation of his orders regarding pending penal charges. (KNN/ES)
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