Consumers oppose power tariff hike proposal at JSERC meeting

Daltonganj: Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission (JSERC) faced strong opposition to JBVNL's proposed tariff hike as consumers unanimously rejected the increase during a public hearing at Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay Smriti Bhavan in Daltonganj on Monday.Consumers urged the commission to maintain existing tariff rates for both urban and rural domestic users, citing financial strain. They argued that any increase would impact household budgets.Questioning the justification for a tariff hike, Mukesh Kumar, an electricity consumer from Bishrampur block, asked the commission, "There are bamboo poles instead of concrete poles supplying our electricity. Is this condition worthy of a tariff increase?"P K Chawla, another consumer, informed the commission that an Eklavya Vidyalaya in the Manatu block still has no power connection. Similarly, Parshuram Ojha pointed out safety concerns. "Electricity wires in ward number 4 of the municipal corporation are hanging just four feet above the ground, putting people at risk, but no one seems concerned," he said.Consumers linked the proposed tariff increase to the govt's decision to waive electricity bills for usage up to 200 units. They also raised widespread complaints about corruption within the electricity department.Allegations surfaced that transformer replacements only proceed after bribes are paid, and new service connections face similar corruption issues.Two JSERC members attended the hearing, representing technical and legal expertise. Acknowledging the concerns raised, technical member Atul Kumar said, "We heard people's woes. There was little deliberation on the tariff hike proposal. Instead, we were inundated with demands to prevent any increase."Law member Mahender Prasad urged consumers to report corruption through proper channels and advocated for greater adoption of solar energy.Both JSERC members reminded consumers that standard operating procedures exist for transformer replacements, eliminating the need for bribes. They also directed JBVNL to organise awareness and grievance resolution camps for consumers.