Vijayawada: Roundtable opposes electricity true-up charges

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Urban Citizens Federation and Taxpayers’ Association have jointly organised a roundtable meeting, demanding that the State government should cancel the true-up charges that were included in the electricity bills and withdraw the installation of smart meters.

The roundtable passed a unanimous resolution condemning the imposition of Fuel and Power Purchase Price Adjustment (FPPCA) charges, electricity duty, true-up charges and others. The meeting was attended by various traders’ associations, apartments, and colony associations at Vijayawada Chamber of Commerce & Industry here on Tuesday.

The participants of the meeting alleged the State government’s decision to collect Rs 3,013 crore for power consumption from 2014 to 2019. Also, the distribution companies are trying to collect additional charges in the name of true-up charges and FPPCA for the year 2021-22, speakers said.

Progressive Democratic Front (PDF) MLC KS Lakshmana Rao said that the collection of additional charges for previous consumption was not learned in history. This type of system is not implemented for any other commodity except power sector, he said and opposed the decision to install smart meters and alleged that it will be a huge burden to the people. He said that smart meters are proposed for the benefit of private companies which are producing these meters.

Andhra Pradesh Urban Citizens Federation Convener Ch Babu Rao demanded that the State government should cancel all true-up charges and FPPCA charges. These additional charges should be borne by the government only, he stated. To oppose the smart meters and adjustment charges, his federation would organise agitation along with the Taxpayers’ Association and other political parties, he informed.