Will protests over ACD grow as those over Kamareddy master plan?

Karimnagar: Will the Additional Consumption Deposit snowball into another agitation like the one that was witnessed in Kamareddy opposing the new master plan?

The power consumers want the government to immediately withdraw collection of ACD dues or else they be left with no choice but to agitate, they say.

Talking to Hans India, the power consumers of Karimnagar district said that the TSNPDCL staff was insisting that the consumers pay the ACD dues from December or face disconnection. But users say that the NPDCL had increased 50 paise per unit for domestic power and Rs 1 per unit for commercial power. On top of that, they have to pay development charges. They said the power utilities charge Rs 200 per kilowatt of load when connection is given. On one hand the government claims that Telangana is the only state where uninterrupted quality power is supplied and the only state where power consumption was highest but on the other hand it is making power a costly affair apparently to cut down on power consumption by the common man. The NPDCL had in fact levied ACD charges in 2021 but it went unnoticed as it was levied over and above the consumption of 300 units per month. But now that it is applicable to all, the consumers are feeling the pinch and are opposing ACD.

NPDCL CMD Annameni Gopal Rao said the ACD amount will be with the Discoms and if the connection is cancelled in the future, it will be given back to the house owner.

But the question being raised is what will happen to the tenants?

The owners are asking tenants to pay the ACD since it is based on the power they consume. But the rules say that the deposit will earn interest and it would be returned to the owner if he cancels the connection. No owner would trace where his tenant has gone and return that amount.

Challur Madhavi from Karimnagar Katarapur complained that the power utilities have been collecting additional amounts causing hardship to the common man. The household budget is adversely affected due to irrational decisions taken by the Central Government. The prices of all essential commodities have skyrocketed. Power prices are being hiked once every four months, Muniganti Raju said.