Agartala, Nov 24 (TIWN): Delegates of the Socialist Unity Centre of India- Communist (SUCI-C) led by Secretary Arun Bhowmik today staged a protest against recent power tariff hike and submitted memorandum to the Chairman of Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) with 5-point charter of demands at Bodhjungnagar Choumuhani.

Speaking to media, Bhowmik said the TSECL hikes power tariff every year by showing different excuses. The TSECL authority failed to collect large-amount due bills from the government offices and also failed to prevent the stealing of electricity, transportation related revenue loss and wastage of power, he said. But the TSECL hikes power tariff in every year instead of taking proper action against wastage of power and illegal hook line users in the state, he added.

In the memorandum placed to the TSECL chairman, SUCI(C) demanded to withdraw the hiked power tariff without any delay, to provide subsidy on total loss amount by the state government and to develop other services by stopping load-shedding.

It is to be mentioned here, to arrest the upward trend in the revenue loss of TSECL and average of 14.76 per cent power tariff has been scaled up for the financial year (FY) 2014-15 which will come into effect from November 01.

Announcing the revised power tariff, chairman of Tripura Electricity Regulatory Commission (TERC) - N. Ckakraborty had said on November 22, though the state government has committed to provide Rs. 40 crore subsidy to specific consumers at different rates, but the substantial rise in the natural gas price, due increase of Power Purchase Cost from outside Central Sector Project and due to increase of Operational and Maintenance costare the main reasons behind the hike of power tariff. After taking into consideration into all aspects, the TERC has finalized the revised tariff.

As a result, the sudden rise in power tariff created unease among the power consumers of the state after the TERC declared the hike in power tariff, which is mandatory under the Central Electricity Act for each financial year.