The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) on Saturday, June 25, announced a 6.6% hike in power tariffs in the state. The last tariff revision took place in 2019 in the state. Revising the power tariff after three years, the Commission, however, said that there would be no increase in tariff for the weaker sections, agricultural consumers, small scale industries and small farmers.
According to reports, KSERC chairman Preman Dhinraj said that 54% of Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) customers are domestic consumers who utilise up to 150 units a month. They will be facing a marginal increase only between Rs 43 to Rs 88, he added. For households consuming more than 250 units a month, the maximum increase would be around Rs 152.50 per month and for households consuming more than 500 units a month, it would increase up to Rs 1,000. That is, the fixed charges have been increased around 200% for industrial consumers and around 22% to 53% for domestic consumers, he said.
State Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty said the commission revised the power tariff without incurring huge liabilities to the people. "The last increase in electricity tariff was on July 8, 2019. Since then, the wholesale price index has risen by 19% in the last three years, while electricity tariffs have increased by only 6.6%," the minister said in a statement.
The revised tariff, in effect between June 26, 2022 to March 31, 2023, is as follows:
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP slammed the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government over the 6.6% hike in power tariffs, saying that it was a huge financial blow to the public which was already facing rising fuel and commodity prices. Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly VD Satheesan, speaking to reporters in Kochi, said that the power tariff hike comes a month after the state government had increased bus, auto and taxi fares.
He also said that the debts incurred by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) were allegedly due to corruption in its various projects as well as its mismanagement and this financial burden was now being transferred on to the shoulders of the general public. Satheesan said that instead of the state government controlling or avoiding its unnecessary and extravagant expenses, it was for no reason imposing a huge financial burden on the common man.
BJP state president K Surendran also indicated a similar stand as that of Satheesan on the issue. Speaking to reporters in Alappuzha, Surendran said the tariff hike was huge and a major blow to the public, especially when the state had recently increased bus, auto and taxi fares. He alleged that the state government was not people friendly as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was "buying a new black car every month" while imposing such financial burdens on the common man.