Bhubaneswar, Feb. 23: The Odisha Power Consumers' Federation today demanded that government should order a probe of the distributor companies' accounts by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

Addressing a news conference here, federation chairman and former finance minister Panchanan Kanungo said: 'The private distributor companies have misled the people about the transmission and distribution loss incurred by them. To get government subsidies, they are airing such a cock-and-bull story.'

Kanungo said: 'Until a fair inquiry in conducted by the CAG, the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission should not allow the companies to increase their tariff. It should address the consumers' issue at first.'

Kanungo alleged that in the past 15 years, there had been a misappropriation of around Rs 30,000 core on the ground of tariff and non-tariff. 'The companies cited that they had lost huge amount of infrastructures because of natural calamities in the past 15 years. The companies had exaggerated their losses, and the government accepted it,' he said.

On February 9, the federation members barged into the office demanding CAG audit of private power distribution companies. 'The Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (ATE) has imposed Rs 5,500 crore burden on the consumers. While crores of rupees of electricity bills of various companies and government establishments are lying pending, the state government is subjecting the people of state under finical burden with the proposed power tariff hike,' said Kanungo.