Patna, March 11: Hit by a fuel surcharge of 69 paise per unit for nine months, the electricity consumers will now have to cough up an additional 99 paise per unit for the same.

The Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) has decided to impose a fuel surcharge of 99 paise per unit for three months — December 2010, January and February 2011 — which the consumers can pay in three equal instalments, sources in the board said.

The surcharge has been imposed on all categories of consumers such as domestic, commercial and industrial, due to the increase in the input cost (fuel use in power generation) incurred by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

Though Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission has not ratified the surcharge yet, the approval for the same could be taken even at a later stage, a top source said.

The source added this is being done keeping in mind the consumers’ interest as a delay could create a huge backlog of the amount for consumers.

The commission in its recent tariff order has asked the board to review the case at an interval of every three months to know whether the surcharge could be imposed or not, sources said, adding the commission, while examining the board’s decision, could ask it to adjust the amount in the next bills if it has wrongly imposed the surcharge.

In December last year, the board had imposed a surcharge of 69 paise per unit for nine months with retrospective effect from January 2009 to September 2009 on the same ground that NTPC has made an increase in rate due to the increase in the cost of coal, a key component in running a thermal plant.

The consumers were supposed to make the payment of surcharge for nine months in five equal instalments but now they are again faced with a fresh round of surcharge for another three months, which they would have to pay in three equal instalments.

The state government, just before the elections, had announced the implementation of fuel surcharge for full one year with retrospective effect from October 2008 to October 2009, which was opposed by trade and business people, saying it would lead to closure of thousands of industries in the state.

The government, which had earlier stayed the implementation of fuel surcharge for three months, finally compensated the revenue loss to the board for three months from October to December 2008.

Rajesh Kumar, a resident of East Patel Nagar near Gandhi Murti, said: “It is shocking. We are already paying instalment of the first round of surcharge imposed by the board. Now we have to deal with another round of surcharge. God knows what is going on.”

Twin blow

BSEB has come out with a second round of surcharge of 99 paisa per unit for three months from December 2010 to February 2010.

This would have to be paid in three instalments

Board officials said the surcharge has been levied after NTPC hiked prices following an increase in the cost of coal

In December last year, the board had announced a fuel surcharge of 69 paisa for January to August, 2009. Consumers were asked to make the payment in five instalments

Board has in December last year announced the imposition of fuelsurcharge of 69 paisa per unit with retrospective effect from January2009 to September 2009. Consumers were asked to make payment in fiveinstallments.

First of all, board has imposed surcharge for full one year fromOctober 2008 to September 2009 but later the state government compensated the amount for October to December 2008 to board due tovociferous opposition by trade and industries and also keeping in mindthe elections.

After the elections, board announced the imposition of surcharge fornine months from January 2009.

Common people and industries have termed the board�s decision asarbitrary and autocratic and would affect the industries adversely.

GRAFIXEOM (ANAND RAJ)

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