NEW DELHI:Days after DERC increased the electricity tariff in the city, the Delhi government shot off a letter on Monday to the regulatory watchdog questioning the justification of the hike and asked it to review the power purchase adjustment charges surcharge and withdraw it in public interest.
In a letter penned by power secretary Sukesh Jain, the government also protested over not being consulted over the tariff announcement. “It is noted that DERC had neither given any notice in this regard to the public, Delhi government, or any stakeholder, nor any public consultation was made with the department of power in this regard. The detailed working at which DERC has arrived at the PPAC percentage spread over next three quarters ranging from 4 per cent to 6 per cent is also not provided in the said order,” said the letter.
The letter continued “The said order is not in accordance with Section 42(a) of the Electricity Act, 2003 which allows amendment of the tariff only once in a financial year except in respect of any changes expressly permitted under the terms of any fuel surcharge formula.”
“As DERC is aware that the CAG audit of distribution companies is underway and the report is awaited. Therefore, any tariff hike in the name of PPAC adjustment should not have been made in this regard,” said Jain.
