Power charges nominal in Telangana compared to BJP, Congress ruled States

Hyderabad: Telangana, which has the distinction of being the only State in the country to supply 24×7 free and quality power supply to the agriculture sector, also boasts of having a very nominal power tariff that is much lower than eight States ruled by the BJP and one by Congress. These are no mean achievements […]

Hyderabad: Telangana, which has the distinction of being the only State in the country to supply 24×7 free and quality power supply to the agriculture sector, also boasts of having a very nominal power tariff that is much lower than eight States ruled by the BJP and one by Congress. These are no mean achievements considering the fact that the region faced power holidays for industries and prolonged power cuts for domestic and agriculture sectors before the State was carved out of undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2014, and doomsday sayers predicted ‘dark’ days ahead for the new State.

According to data collected from websites of Electricity Regulatory Commissions of several States, Telangana charges a mere Rs.1.95 per unit for power consumption between one and 50 units, Rs.3.1 per unit between 51 and 100 units and Rs.4.8 per unit between 101 and 200 units.

Compare these rates with BJP-ruled States like Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home State of Gujarat and one will realise how much power consumers in these States are being fleeced by their respective governments. Yogi Adityanath’s governnment in UP charges Rs.5.5 per unit between one to 150 units and Rs 6 per unit between 151 and 300 units of consumption.

Neighbouring Karnataka, again under BJP rule, charges Rs 4.15 per unit between one and 50 units, Rs.5.6 per unit between 51 and 100 units and Rs.7.15 per unit between 101 and 200 units. The BJP government in Gujarat collects Rs.3.05 per unit between one and 50 units, Rs.3.5 per unit between 51 and 100 units and Rs 4.15 per unit between 101 and 250 units. Power consumers in Assam, a smaller State ruled by the BJP, pay Rs.5.3 per unit between one and 120 units and Rs.6.6 per unit between 121 and 240 units.

Bihar, incidentally, charges the highest – Rs 6.1 per unit between one to 100 units and Rs 6.95 between 101 and 200 units.

Power tariff in Congress-ruled Rajasthan are also high, with the State government collecting Rs.4.75 per unit between one and 50, Rs.6.5 per unit between 51 and 150 units and Rs.7.35 per unit between 151 and 300 units.

Before State formation, Telangana region witnessed power cuts lasting between four and eight hours in the domestic sector and power holiday twice a week for the industrial sector. The agriculture sector used to get only four to six hours of power supply. Complaints of transformer explosions and electric motors getting burnt out were common. Incidents of farmers either getting electrocuted or killed due to snake bite were many in undivided AP.

The TRS government dispelled doubts expressed by united former Chief Minister of undivided AP N Kiran Kumar that Telangana would face complete blackout if a separate State was carved out, spending Rs.33,722 crore in the last eight years to ensure supply of quality power to the people. The State government resolved all the problems by strengthening the energy department and later lifted power cuts completely. For power distribution, new sub-stations were established on a large scale apart from providing transformers and laying electrical lines in the State.