By Our Correspondent in Bhubaneswar, February 9, 2015 :

Public hearing by the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) on power tariff hike had to be suspended on Monday following disruption of the proceedings by protesters demanding CAG audit of distribution companies and its decision of proposed power tariff hike.

Scores of consumers, politicians and activists gate crashed the OERC office here breaking some glass panes in protest against the proposed steep power hike forcing the regulatory body to suspend the hearing for the day.

The protesters apprehend that the OERC could order for a steep hike of Rs 1-3 per unit in tariff if it is to implement a recent order of the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (ATE) to determine the Annual Revenue Requirement [ARR] on realistic loss levels while determining tariff.

The ATE had been maintaining that the State Commission has persistently fixed loss level targets without taking into account the ground realities contrary to its four earlier judgments. “As a result the tariffs based on approved loss levels do not cover even the OERC approved costs forcing the Distribution Companies into financial distress”, it said.

‘‘The Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (ATE) has imposed Rs 5,500 crore on the consumers. With this, the consumers would have to pay the dues retrospective from 2006. We demand this to be scrapped immediately,’’ chairman of the Electricity Consumers Association of Odisha Panchanan Kanungo said.

“The transportation and distribution (T & D) losses stand at 27.15% at all India level whereas it is 12.94% in Andhra Ppradesh, 20.16% in Delhi, 17.3% in Gujarat and 15.56% Kerala, it  is a staggering 37.08% in Odisha, making it number one in T & D losses,” Kanungo had said.

The protestors also demand audit by Comptroller and Auditor General of India [CAG] of all the four power distribution companies [Discoms] operating in the state.

‘‘The purpose of public hearing is to enable consumers to put forth their grievances or suggestions before the commission. For this, we publish the schedule on hearings in newspapers and other media. Today, hearing of SNPC was scheduled. The commission would decide whether the hearings would be abolished or deferred,’’ OERC spokesperson said.