Mounting losses: Power in Punjab gets costlier

Costlier electricity is on the anvil in Punjab with Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) filing a fresh petition for additional mobilisation of Rs 1,800 crore through a power tariff hike. The petition was filed with Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) today. A notice regarding fresh proposals is expected to be issued next week and the new tariff, if approved by PSERC, shall become operational from April 2003.

PSEB has cited a deficit of Rs 3,200 crore, with Rs 1,400 crore shown as losses from the current year. Though details of the hike for individual sectors were not available, sources said an average hike of 23 per cent has been sought. For domestic and agriculture consumption the hike demanded ranges around 15 per cent.