Bhubanswar, March 22: Power is set to become dearer from April 1.

Both domestic and commercial consumers will have to pay 10 paise more per unit of consumed electricity, an Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) order said today.

While there will be no hike in tariff for irrigation and agriculture, there will be a 20 paise raise in consumption of power for allied agro-industrial activities. This rate goes up from the existing Rs 3.80 to Rs 4.

The Congress and the BJP were prompt to oppose the hike and termed it unfortunate. They said that the consumers were being made to pay for the state’s inefficiency because Odisha was not generating the amount of power that it required. Since 2010, the power tariff has risen a number of times.

In the domestic sector, the consumer will pay Rs 2.30 per unit instead of Rs 2.20 for using up to 50 units of power. For 50 to 200 units, the consumer will pay Rs 4 per unit instead of existing Rs 3.90. For 200 to 400 units, the consumer will have to pay Rs 5 per unit instead of Rs 4.90. For more than 400 units, the new tariff will be Rs 5.40 instead of Rs 5.30 per unit.

In other words, a household using up to 50 units of power will pay Rs 115 per month instead of Rs 110. Likewise, those consuming 100 units will pay Rs 315 instead of Rs 305, those using 200 units will pay Rs 715 instead of Rs 695, those using 300 units and 400 units of will have to pay Rs 1,215 and Rs 1,715 a month respectively. According to the new tariff order, a consumer has to pay an average tariff of Rs 4.68 per unit for consumption of 600 units of power.

“The rise in electricity tariff approved by the commission is very nominal. Consumers can bear this slight rise,” said an OERC official. A reconnection charges has been introduced for consumers who don’t pay their electricity bills on time.

The tariff for Kutir Jyoti Yojana — people below poverty line with a single connection — has also been increased. It has been revised to Rs 65 a month for consumption of 30 units a month from Rs 60.

Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik said: “It is unfortunate. The state government has no concern for the people.” Common people also echoed Patnaik’s criticism of the hike.

“The middle class is at the receiving end with the inflation rising. At such a time, the government should not have raised the price of electricity. It upsets out budget,” said Arya Jena, a resident of Nayapalli.

Manjushree Mallick, a homemaker, said: “The distributing companies must ensure that they address complaints of the consumers when they are charging us more.”

The OERC has also hiked the average tariff for hydro power stations run by Odisha Hydro Power Corporation from 68.83 paise per unit to 68.98 paise.