Power consumers in Andhra Pradesh are in for a rude shock with their power bills for October swelling significantly due to fuel surcharge adjustment.
As the new bills were served by the distribution companies in the State, consumers have to shell out huge amounts by about 50-70 per cent of their monthly bill.
There was no clarity with regard to the quantum of additional payment a consumer will have to make. Significantly, consumers will have to shell out additional surcharge for two more months following a recent order by the Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission.
When contacted, an official of Discom stated that this was being done as per the regulator’s orders. There was no way to bridge the funds incurred for additional cost of fuel used for power generation.
The regulator had ruled that consumers will have to pay additional fuel surcharge for April to June 2012 during October, November and December 2012 bills. Accordingly, distribution companies have served the bills.
One earlier occasions, when a similar surcharge was raised by the discoms following an order by the regulator, the court’s had come to the rescue of consumers on the ground that this could not be collected retrospectively that too for periods beyond the financial year.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday directed the State Government and statutory authorities to file a counter affidavit to a petition filed in the court challenging the collection of fuel surcharge adjustment.
Justice C. V. Nagarjuna Reddy passed these directions while dealing with a writ petition filed by a resident of Hyderabad questioning the move to collect such surcharge.