Vijayawada: Withdrawal of power true-up charges demanded

Vijayawada: CPM state secretary V Srinivasa Rao demanded the state government to withdraw the burden of electricity true-up charges on the consumers. In a statement on Thursday, the state secretary strongly opposed imposition of additional adjustment charges (True-up) at the rate of 40 paise per unit per month on the consumers. He said that already the government had imposed Rs 1,400 crore burden on the consumers and added that the government has been collecting 25 paise per unit for the past 36 months for the electricity was consumed during 2014-19; due to this, consumers were forced to cough up around Rs 2,900 crore, he added.

"The government has given directions to impose up to 65 paise per unit on power consumed in 2020-21. Owing to this, another Rs 3083 crore burden would be imposed on the consumers. Besides, efforts are being made by the government to install smart meters and collect that cost from the people on a monthly basis," the CPM state secretary said. Srinviasa Rao alleged that the government was imposing high electricity charges in various forms. He said the state government was buying electricity from big corporate companies at a high rate and putting the burden on the public. In order to benefit Adani and other corporate companies, coal is being bought at high rates and the people were made to pay in the name of adjustment charges, he added.