18 March,2009 01:48 PM IST | | Shashank Rao
Domestic power consumers pay 50% more now than they did in September 2006u00a0
A free, new online calculator allows you to ascertain if you have been paying Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (RInfra) the correct amount for the units of power consumed by you in a month.
All you have to do is key in the number of units consumed, and the calculator generates the amount you owe RInfra along with a list of the varying amounts you would have paid for the same units from September 2006 to April 2009.
The varying billed amounts highlight how RInfra has hiked power tariffs by as much as 52 per cent since September 2006.
RInfra consumer Sandip Ohri, the person who built the calculator, said, "The calculator reveals how one has been increasingly paying higher power tariffs over a period of 30 months." RInfra officials, who chose to remain anonymous, blame increasing government levies for the hike in power tariffs. A spokesperson for RInfra said, "The matter of rising tariffs is being deliberated upon by the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC). We can't comment till they hold a hearing."
Jitendra Gupta, member, City Action Group (CAG) said, "This calculator will help consumers argue their case better during the public hearing declared by the MERC on various dates." (See box). The last date for filing objections against proposed power tariffs by MERC is March 19. CAG expects nearly 1000 citizens to be present during the hearing.
23 lakh
The number of suburban residential consumers who get their power from RInfra
Using the RInfra calculator
>>u00a0Log on to https://www.freedrive.com/file/722572,reliance_public_ response.doc or https://www.4shared.com/file/92944556/16187bb3/Reliance_Public_Response.html to access the calculator
>> Key in the units of power consumed in that month in the yellow box of the first sheet
>> The system generates data on how much one would have paid at various intervals between September 2006 and April 2009 for the same amount consumed
Power to the people
A public hearing is a process, which allows the common man to participate and give his views on the proposed hike in tariffs by power companies. However, every consumer will have to physically send a set of grievances to the offices of MERC and one's respective power distributing company. Following are the dates of public hearing for Mumbaikars:u00a0
TATA:u00a0 March 24 at 11 am
Vista Hall, 30th Floor, Centre Number 1, World Trade Centre
BEST:u00a0March 25 at 11 am
Vista Hall, 30th Floor, Centre I, World Trade Centre
Reliance Infra:u00a0March 26 at 11 am
Rangsharda Natya Mandir, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra (W)
