Concessions in electricity rates on the pattern of Delhi demanded in Uttarakhand

A delegation of of all party Mandal of Uttarakhand Vanadhikar Andolan under the leadership of its founder and former president of Uttarakhand Congress Kishore Upadhyay met the chairman of Utarakhand state Electricity Regulatory Commission Justice D. P. Gairola and requested him to provide free of cost domestic electricity to Uttarakhand’s inhabitants living in villages in view of the last budget session of Uttarakhand to be held shortly.

It may be recalled that in the state of Uttarakhand the legal responsibility to fix the electricity tariffs lies with the State Regulatory Commission. There are massive complaints in Uttarakhand about the residents acknowledging highly inflated unjustifiable electricity bills putting financial burden of the domestic electricity users in particular.

As per the memorandum submitted to the chairman of the Uttarakhand Regulatory Commission, Justice D. P. Gairola, the leader of the Uttarakhand Vanadhikar Andolan, ( Uttarakhand forests rights movement) Kishore Upadhyay said that with reference to Uttarakhand being the Urja Pradesh, deserving Green bonus and carbon credit state as being given us to understand repeatedly for the last two decades since the state came into separate existence, the electricity bills of Uttarakhand inhabitants are also inflating beyond anybody’s reach.

The statistical record of ( electricity) power production in the year 2020,21, are either not available on public platforms or are not made available to us. But as per the statistics of 2018, in Uttarakhand, the power generating capacity was to the tune of 3,399 megawatts.

The memorandum further says that the THDC with its 1400 megawatt production capacity have been supplying only 12% electricity to Uttarakhand. Sounds anguishing and ironical as contrary to this if we talk of the National Capital territory of Delhi which is completely bereft of natural resources and solely dependent on other states for electricity supply is providing free electricity to the Delhites consuming 200 units of electricity every month whereas in Uttarakhand despite power generation enhancing in THDC n other hydropower projects, the inhabitants of the state’s are not being relieved of the impending inflated electricity bills.

The leader of Uttarakhand Vanadhikar Andolan Kishore Upadhyay says that we have been incessantly struggling and demanding that despite protecting the environment, natural resources like water and forests the inhabitants of the Himalayan state are neither getting water not electricity, free of costs.

This concession is being asked for, against the deserving Green bonus and carbon credit genuinely n officially due to Uttarakhand said Kishore Upadhyay.

While interacting with the chairman of the Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission Justice DP Gairola the delegation requested him to provide minimum 100 units of electricity free of cost every month including curtailing of the exorbitant electricity rates in Uttarakhand.

In the context of those living in the border areas’ distant villages under inclement weather conditions, the Uttarakhand Forests Rights Movement, requested the Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission chairman justice Gairola to provide them 300 units concession every month as a special case on the pattern of the Delhi government of AAP.

They also requested him to reduce the per unit electricity rates of commercial consumers as well.

The chairman Justice Gairola appreciated the suggestions and request of the delegation and after giving them patient hearing including agreeing to some of their proposals, assured of going through the Memorandum deeply and doing his best in the wider interest of the consumers said Kishore Upadhyay.