RANCHi: In a significant order, aimed at providing relief to consumers on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission (JSERC) on Monday ordered a waiver of monthly fixed charges for all industrial and commercial consumers for the months of April, May and June this year, along with a moratorium of three months for payment of electricity bills that were due between 01.04.2020 and 30.06.2020, without levying any delayed payment surcharge (DPS) for all categories of consumers throughout the state.
“Some respite needs to be given to electricity consumers who have been adversely impacted by the lockdown. In order to mitigate the difficulties being faced by electricity consumers, the Commission (JSERC), after careful consideration of the situation at hand, has decided to provide some relaxations,” the JSERC order, signed by member (engineering) R N Singh and member (legal) Pravas Kumar Singh, said.
The JSERC said it was recommending a moratorium of three months for payment of electricity bills that had fallen due for payment between 01.04.2020 and 30.06.2020, without levying any DPS for all categories of consumers of all the power distribution licensees in Jharkhand, till September 2020.
It added that in the event power distribution companies have, meanwhile, received any amount by way of DPS or fixed charges from industrial and commercial consumers, for the period from 01.04.2020 to 30.06.2020, the said amount should be allowed as adjustment by way of reduction in the bills of the subsequent month after the issuance of this order.
In July this year, the state department of energy had directed that in view of the extraordinary situation arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, some relief by way of a three-month moratorium on payment of energy bills along with waiver of fixed charges be allowed to consumers as a special case.
Following the energy department’s letter, the JSERC had taken suo motu cognizance and published a general notice, in public interest, inviting comments from Jharkhand Bijli Vitaran Nigam Ltd, Damodar Valley Corporation, Tata Steel Limited, Tata Steel Utilities Infrastructure and Services Company Limited, Bokaro Steel and trade and industry bodies.
While the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Deoghar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, DVC, Jharkhand Small Industries Association said that commercial and industrial consumers throughout Jharkhand needed to be granted adequate relief to enable them to cope with the pandemic, power distribution companies claimed that any moratorium on bill payments would lead to reduced cash inflows and increased fiscal hardships.
The JSERC, however, on Monday decreed that relief to consumers was needed and directed all power distribution companies in Jharkhand “to strictly comply with the aforesaid decision of the Commission and further directions, if any, to be issued from time to time”.
