Gurgaon residents object to tariff hike as discoms cite revenue deficit
In the letter to the HERC Secretary, UGR convener Praveen Yadav and co-convener Chaitali Mandhotra urged the commission to direct distribution companies to improve efficiency, recover dues and rationalise costs.
2 min readGurgaonUpdated: Feb 12, 2026 10:44 AM IST
Last year too, effective April 2025, electricity rates in Haryana increased by 20 to 40 paise per kilowatt-hour (kWh) across categories, following a revision by the HERC. (File Photo)
Resident welfare associations (RWAs) in Gurgaon have strongly opposed any tariff hike for the financial year (FY) 2026-27. United Gurugram RWAs (UGR), an umbrella body representing around 300 RWAs across the city, submitted a detailed objection Tuesday during a public hearing of the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) on Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) petitions filed by Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) and Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) last November.
In their petitions, the corporations stated that though there was a surplus of Rs 1,605.16 crore for the financial year 2026-27, considering the revenue gap for 2024–25, there was a deficit of Rs 4,484.71 crore.
A DHVBN spokesperson, however, said that they will decide on any electricity tariff change only after “extensive consultations and deliberations” and that no indicative rate hikes have been presented so far.
Last year too, effective April 2025, electricity rates in Haryana increased by 20 to 40 paise per kilowatt-hour (kWh) across categories, following a revision by the HERC. The last such move came in 2017.
In the letter to the HERC Secretary, UGR convener Praveen Yadav and co-convener Chaitali Mandhotra urged the commission to direct distribution companies to improve efficiency, recover dues and rationalise costs.
They pointed out that the HERC had already sanctioned a significant tariff hike last year to address a Rs 3,262 crore revenue gap for FY 2023-24. The association also questioned why consumers who pay bills on time should face the consequences of alleged mismanagement.
At the hearing, DHBVN Managing Director Vikram Singh said the corporation serves 45.12 lakh consumers and has reduced its aggregate technical and commercial losses to 11.67%.
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HERC Chairman Nand Lal Sharma, meanwhile, stressed the need to strengthen, reinforce and modernise the state’s power distribution infrastructure. He noted that the commission’s primary responsibility is to balance consumer interests with the financial requirements of the discoms, ensuring no unnecessary expenditure is passed on to users.
The Commission will conduct hearings in Panipat on February 24, Hisar on February 25, and in Yamunanagar on March 2.
Abhimanyu Hazarika is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Gurgaon. He covers southern Haryana.
Education
- Post-Graduate Diploma in Print Media, Asian College of Journalism (Class of 2020)
- B.A. (Hons) Liberal Arts with a major in Political Science, Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts (Class of 2019)
Professional Experience
Before joining The Indian Express, he worked with Bar & Bench (legal journalism) and Frontline magazine, where he developed experience in court reporting, legal analysis, and long-form investigative features.
Reporting Interests
His work centres on civic accountability, environmental policy, urban infrastructure and culture, crime and law enforcement, and their intersections with politics and governance in and around Gurgaon.
Recent Coverage (2025)
- Crime: Reported on the recovery of 350 kg of explosives and an AK-47 from a rented house in Faridabad, linked to the 2025 Red Fort car explosion case (November 11, 2025).
- Environmental policy: Covered protests outside a Haryana minister’s residence against a Supreme Court order that environmentalists argue could allow mining and real estate development on large parts of the Aravalli hills (December 21, 2025).
- Pollution control measures: Co-authored coverage of the Rekha Gupta government’s enforcement of vehicle restrictions at Delhi-NCR borders (December 21, 2025).
- Road safety and infrastructure: Examined response lapses in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway hit-and-run case and ongoing investigations into high-speed road crimes in Gurugram.
- Animal welfare policy: Reported on concerns regarding the low budget allocated for stray dog sterilization by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (November 30, 2025).
- Urban culture: Featured the social media-driven popularity of a new Magnolia Bakery outlet in Gurugram (December 15, 2025).
Contact
X (Twitter): @AB_Hazardous ... Read More
