Steep Hike in Power Tariff in Chhattisgarh

     Raipur, April 28, 2012: Further burdening the common men, Chhattisgarh Government today affected a steep increase in power tariff in the state.

    While making the maximum increase by 46 per cent in the power tariff the state government had even not spared the agriculture sector.

     As per the new tariff, for the first 100 units instead of Rs 1.80 the Electricity board would charge its consumers Rs 2.10, or an increase of 16.60 per cent, official sources said.

     For consumption between 101 and 200 units the new price was Rs 2.40 instead of Rs 1.90 or an increase of 26.30 per cent.

     From 201 to 500 unit consumption consumer, the new rate per unit would be Rs 3.40 instead of Rs 2.40 or an increase in 41.66 per cent.

     For consumption between 501 and above the new rate was 5.85 from Rs 3.10 or an increase of 46.25 per cent.

      Sources said when the domestic tariff was increased by 46 per cent and the commercial rate was increased by only 24.46 per cent.

     The government has also fixed the new rate per unit for agriculture as Rs 1.30 from Rs 1.10 per unit.

     A state government release claimed, because of increase in the prices of coal, fuel and water coupled with inflation and increase in the prices of machineries and other materials it was forced to revise the rates.

     The BJP government also claimed that the average rate of electricity was lowest among many states. For the year 2012-13 the average rate of Haryana was Rs 5.33, Tamil Nadu Rs 4.99, Madhya Pradesh Rs 4.90 Odisha Rs 4.60 and Himachal Pradesh Rs 4.59 where as Chhattisgarh has Rs 4.07, the release said.