By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, February 4, 2018: The Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) will begin public hearing between February 5 and 13 on power tariff hike.

It has has issued notices to bulk power suppliers, power generating and distributing companies for hearing. Power distribution companies include Nesco, Wesco, Southco and Cesu, power generators like Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) and Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC), bulk power supplier like Gridco and power transmission company OPTCL will attend the hearing.

The distribution companies are pleading for hike in power tariff.

Application of OPGC and OHPC will be taken up for hearing on February 5 in the presence of consumer council members and other participants of the hearing, OERC sources said.

If a company fails to appear in the hearing, commission may proceed to decide the matter in its absence, an OERC spokespersons said.

Meanwhile, the consumers’ body is strongly protesting the move of the companies to hike power tariff. A delegation led by Samajwadi Party state president Rabi Behera submitted a memorandum before the commission against any hike in power tariff.

“Odisha is a power producing state. Power sector reform had been taken up by the state government 25 years ago to give uninterrupted quality power supply at cheaper rate. But now we are facing tariff hike due to lack of proper electricity management. If the commission allows the hike, we will protest it,” Behera said.