Cuttack, June 22: Orissa High Court today refused to lift the restriction imposed by it on collection of the enhanced power tariff from domestic consumers in the state.

The court, however, allowed collection of the new tariff from commercial and industrial consumers with a rider after the Orissa government had filed a petition for vacating of the stay order.

While issuing an interim order on a PIL, the high court, on March 31, issued a stay order on the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC)’s order enhancing power tariff for 2011-2012 from April 1.

Subsequently on May 9, the high court directed the OERC to dispose of the review petition filed by the Orissa government on enhanced power tariff for domestic consumers before it took up the PIL for further hearing on June 20.The government filed the petition stating that the OERC had considered the review petition for downward revision of enhanced tariff and “revised tariff structure in respect of unit slab of 50-100 units, thereby making substantial downward revision from Rs 3.50 paise to Rs 2”.

“The domestic consumers have already benefitted by the OERC’s revised order and taking advantage of the stay order, the commercial consumer and industrial consumer were also unduly benefitted,” the government stated in the petition. However, it sought vacating or modification of the stay order “so that power scenario of the state will not be jeopardised”.

“The division bench of Justice B.P. Das and Justice B.K. Mishra modified the interim stay order and allowed collection of the enhanced tariff only for power supply in the categories of extra high tension and low tension (other categories),” petitioner advocate Dilip Mohapatra said.

“The modified order, however, directed the distribution companies to issue two bills — one in existing rate and another in enhanced rate — to these categories of consumers and maintain separate account deposit the differential amount for adjustment of future bill if the petitioners succeeds in the writ petition,” Mohapatra said.

The court has fixed June 27 for next hearing on the case.

Initially, a PIL was filed by the Federation of Consumer Organisations, Orissa, the Keonjhar Navanirman Parishad, and a consumer Arun Kumar Sahoo. Subsequently, it was taken up for analogous hearing on the PIL along with two other petitions filed by the Utkal Chamber of Commerce (UCC) representing 239 business houses in Orissa and Rohit Ferrotech Ltd of Kalinganagar Industrial Complex.