Minimum Charges imposed by monopolist Electricity Boards/Cos
Anil Kr Garg
(Querist) 20 July 2010
This query is : Resolved
India is a power deficit country where almost all states of deficit in power supply position. Public sector monopoly companies are enforcing scheduled and non-schedules power cuts on consumers and yet, enforcing minimum charges. In my view, such minimum charges are completely unfair, because
1) The supply companies are short of power and hence, non-consumption of electricity by one consumer does not really entail any loss on the supply company,
2) The supply companies charge every rupee for providing power connection to the consumer, from providing new pole,to cables, to transformers, to Energy bills etc. Hence, they do not incur any cost in proividing a connection.
3) Even if some power supply co has surplus power, it can always draw that much power less from NTPC/Other agencies or even sell surplus power to huge no.of power thirsty companies in same/other states,
4) The issue of min.charges come when a factory is troubled, whether labour strike or financial difficulties etc. In normal times, min charges are irrelevant as actual power consumption is already more. In this situation, it is unfair for monopolies to further extort money from these helpless consumers.
Pls advise if there is a legal basis to convert into a PIL for challenging min.charges across the board for whole of India till India becomes a power surplus country.
Thank you very much.
Chanchal Nag Chowdhury
(Expert) 25 July 2010
Unfortunately,The Electricity Act allows it & it has been upheld by the SC as legal. Remember,law & morality or common sense need not necessarily go together.
