Ex-minister opposes revenue proposal of state power utilities

Former finance minister of Haryana and national spokesman of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Professor Sampat Singh today urged the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) to reject the projected Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) of DHBVNL and UHBVNL for the financial year 2009-10.

Responding to a public notice of the two distribution companies inviting public objections,comments and suggestions,Sampat Singh submitted that since the facts and figures do not justify a projected ARR of Rs 15,310 crore for 2009-10,HERC should ask the utilities to draw a fresh ARR in the interest of the consumers.

Singh said the utilities had failed to respond to the queries of the public during 2008-09,when over 1,000 consumers had responded to the public notice. As a result,HERC did not pass the orders regarding those representations. He said HERC should dismiss the projected ARR for 2009-10 till the Power Utilities set their house in order in accordance with the Electricity Act,2003. He added that the proposed increase in the subsidy for rural energy (RE),from Rs 9,180 crore in 2009-10 against Rs 2,360 crore last year is not justified.