Even as consumers are yet to recover from the steep power tariff hike, the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation.
(Tangedco) has initiated the process for appointing a consultant to give recommendations about tariff
revision for the next financial year.
A senior Tangedco official said that the process of appointing a consultant for preparing the tariff petition for the financial year 2013-14 was under progress. “We have opened the tender on July 12 for appointing a consultant. The consultant will be appointed by the end of this month,” the official said.
The consultant will provide consultancy services for preparation, submission and follow up of annual revenue requirement (ARR) and tariff petition for the year 2013-14 for the Corporation. The consultant will also provide its services in preparing various petitions to be filed as per the directions of the Tamil Nadu Regulatory Commission (TNERC) in its tariff order dated March 30 this year and regulatory assistance, an official said.
Power tariff was hiked by 37 per cent from April 1 this year following the tariff order of TNERC on the petition filed by the corporation. “The hike was steep because the tariff had not been revised periodically between 2001 and 2010 and the Board was under financial difficulty in recovering the cost of supply of power,” the official said.
Considering the rise in cost of fuel used for power generation, the official said the hike in electricity tariff had become inevitable. “If tariff is revised periodically, the hike will be only marginal, between five per cent and seven per cent, and the common man will not feel the pinch,” the official said.