This has reference to a news-item under heading “Vidyut pannula vatha” (levy of electricity charges) published in a section of Print Media on October 4 in which it was reported that TS Power Utilities/Govt. of TS are contemplating a proposal of hiking the Electricity Duty from existing 6 paise per unit up to 10 to 20 paise per unit on electricity consumers and planning to levy a burden on consumers to the tune of around Rs 350 crores per annum. It was also published that, if the proposal of hike in Electricity Duty is approved by the State government, there would be heavy penalties on the consumers to the tune of Rs 10,000 penalty per consumer, who is not having meter (or) resorting to meter tampering and further penalty of Rs 5,000 per day for delay in making payment of penalties.
At the outset, it is to clarify that there is neither a proposal of hiking the Electricity Duty nor increasing the penalties (on meter tampering cases) by Govt/ Power Utilities as reported in News Paper.
The news article may mislead the General Public/Electricity Consumers, especially the farmers, and may create a panic atmosphere and disrupt the Industry Investor friendly atmosphere in the State. In view of the this, it is requested to publish the clarification in the larger interests of General Public/Electricity Consumers of Telangana State, stated D. Prabhakar Rao, CMD/TSTRANSCO & CMD/TSGENCO. (NSS)