GUWAHATI, June 13 � The Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Assam State Electricity Board have faced scathing criticism for favouring a rise in tariff rates, at a time consumers do not enjoy �quality power supply� and Government institutions have repeatedly failed to pay their dues on time. Two civil society groups addressing media persons in the city today urged that the government entities should agree on an immediate roll back on the tariffs, described as �unjustified and bordering on criminal conduct�.
�It is astonishing that a hike such as the recent one has taken place precisely at a time that a large number of government offices and establishments have huge unpaid bills running into crores of rupees. That loss is being sought to be compensated by putting the burden on the common consumer� remarked Ajay Hazarika, chief co-ordinator of Consumers� Legal Protection Forum.
Hazarika pointed out that even after repeated appeals, which included a petition, there has been little action to recover the dues from power users in the government sector.
He mentioned that till September 2009, 44 departments of the Assam Government in Guwahati had to pay dues of more than Rs 705,17,643 to the ASEB. More shockingly, the ASEB is owed an amount of Rs 33,37,78,134 by various departments of the State Government, according to official data of January 2010.
The speed in which the decision to hike power was taken also came in for harsh criticism. Hazarika was of the view that the increase should not have taken place at a time when the ASEB was asked to identify its weaknesses regarding revenue loss and generation.
In the joint press meet, the North Eastern Small Scale Industries Association highlighted the issue of poor quality power provided to consumers for which they were fully charged by the ASEB. President of NESSIA, Sailen Baruah lambasted the ASEB and the AERC for failing to take into account the condition of the consumer who now faces �the highest increase in tariff in recent times�.
He found it unacceptable the way the Commission was functioning at present, and went on to say that the public also should have a larger role in determining the pricing of power. He regretted that not many organizations felt it necessary to take part in the recent hearings in which only five groups attended.
Baruah also expressed concern over hearings not taking place in other parts of Assam, where the prevailing power situation was much worse than it was in the State capital.
The two organizations said that if the roll back in tariffs did not take place in the immediate future, they would approach higher authorities, and would also move the High Court to seek justice.
