Visakhapatnam: 3-day APERC virtual public hearing gets underway

Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) will take a balancing decision taking into consideration the DISCOMs' financial position and consumers priorities, APERC Chairman Justice CV Nagarjuna Reddy said.

At the virtual public hearing on annual revenue requirement and tariff proposals for the financial year 2021-22 that began here on Monday, he explained the decisions taken in the year 2020-21 which were largely based on the priorities of the consumers.

He further said that in the power purchase plan for the financial year 2020-21, power plants, without PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements) were excluded thus saving Rs 200 crore from power purchases.

Owing to the Covid-19, the last date for payment of electricity consumption charges for the months of March and April 2020, was extended up to June, 2 020. Thus consumers have got exemption on 'delayed payment surcharge (DPS)' on charges. To ensure transparency in quality of power and uninterrupted power supply, the achievements in standard of performance (SoPs) were uploaded on commission website last week.

Along with booklets printed to bring awareness among consumers on electricity charges, complaint boxes were placed in all office premises of DISCOMs to eradicate corruption. The long pending compensation cases of farmers, pending with some district collectors, were resolved by APERC efforts and thereby the farmers received compensation for losses incurred due to power lines and towers in their lands.

The public hearing saw Chairperson and Managing Director of APEPDCL Nagalakshmi Selvarajan, CMD of APSPDCL H Haranatha Rao and the CMD of APCPDCL J. Padma Janardhan Reddy read out the tariff proposals. The virtual programme saw a participation of 24 members from across the State.

APERC secretary C Ramakrishna, Deputy Secretary Energy B A V P Kumar Reddy, DISCOMs directors and other officers took part in the programme that will continue till Wednesday and live streamed. One can log on to: www.eliveevents.com/apercpublichearing/ and take part in the virtual programme that will continue from 10.30 am to 1.00 pm and 2 pm to 4.30 pm.