Collection of true-up charges draws criticism

Vijayawada: CPM state secretary V Srinivasa Rao alleged that the state government is imposing burden of Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore on power consumers by collecting true-up charges every year and now getting ready to burden them further by installing the smart meters.

He felt another power agitation will be inevitable in the state if the government continues to burden people with 'reforms'. He recalled that the power agitation took place in the state in 2000 due to burden on consumers with high tariffs and other policies of the government.

Srinivasa Rao along with the party state secretariat member Ch Baburao spoke to the media at the MBVK Bhavan here on Thursday. He called upon the trade unions and common people to question the government on collection of true-up charges and installation of smart meters. He alleged that the energy department was planning to buy power smart meters from private companies without taking permission from Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC), which is mandatory. He demanded that the APERC come forward and probe the issue.

Srinivasa Rao has alleged the government was contemplating to handover 75,000 acre land to a corporate group in the name of green energy in Alluri Sitararama Raju district. He also said the state government was prepared to evict the tribals from district to handover the land for setting up of power plant in the tribal areas. He demanded the government not to allot tribal lands to the corporate groups. He felt the government if it wants can allots its own lands.

The CPM state leaders said the state has to bear the burden of Rs 6,000 crore for installation of smart meters to the agriculture pump sets. Each electrical meter costs Rs 13,000 to Rs 14,000 and the state has to bear the burden. He felt that there will be no use for either consumers or power distribution companies in fixing of smart meters to 1.20 crore power connections in the state.