Ranchi, Nov. 12: The Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission (JSERC) has announced the new tariff for the consumers of Bokaro Steel Limited (BSL) and Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company (Jusco) command areas.

The commission had granted power distribution licence to Jusco and BSL to provide power for the consumers of Seraikela-Kharsawan and Bokaro districts, respectively.

Under the Electricity Act, 2003, regulatory commissions have been granted power to provide distribution licences to more than one company.

The secretary of the commission, A.K. Mehta, said the tariff would come into force from November 1. Both Jusco and BSL can apply fresh for new tariff for the 2008-09 financial year after the completion of the present fiscal.

The commission had heard the two companies about a couple of months ago before finalising the tariff. (See chart)

Sources in the JSERC said the tariff of both Jusco and BSL has been kept on a par with Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB) to ensure that there is no room for complaint from any of these utilities. In urban areas, a domestic consumer using up to 200 units would have to pay at the rate of Rs 1.35 per unit. For those consuming between 200 to 400 units, the rate would be Rs 1.75 per unit and above 400 units the rate would be Rs 1.90 per unit.

For the industry sector the rates vary from Rs 2.60 per unit to Rs 3.80 per unit depending on the quantum of power that the industrial units consume. For the rural consumers, the commission has fixed a tariff of Re 1 per unit. The rate for providing power for railways has been fixed at Rs 4.20 per unit by the commission.

Both Jusco and BSL would be competing with JSEB in providing quality power to the consumers in these two districts. Consumers of Seraikela-Kharsawan and Bokaro would have options to take power from any of the utilities that ensure quality power supply.