Bhubaneswar, Yadu News Nation: The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission has taken a historic decision to return the unpaid amount charged in the electricity bill to the consumers, and the same rule is being implemented in Odisha, the Samajwadi Party has said. Samajwadi Party Odisha State President Shiv Hati Yadav said that Andhra Pradesh Electricity Distribution Companies will refund a total of Rs 895 crore to the consumers at the rate of 13 paisa per unit. The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved Rs 2,758 crore at the rate of 40 paisa per unit for the retail electricity price for 2024-25 after estimating the cost of electricity generation in the financial year. Later, after reviewing the revenue and expenditure accounts, it was found that only Rs. 1863 crore was spent on FPPCA at 27 paisa per unit. As per Section 62(6) of the Electricity Act, 2003, the Andhra Pradesh government has issued an order to refund the overcharged amount of Rs. 895 crore to the consumers.
Similarly, in Odisha, the actual expenditure on the electricity purchase price (from the Central Power Generating Company) approved by the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OREC) in the retail electricity pricing system has not been reviewed till date. According to the information, from 2017-18 to 2023-24, i.e. in 7 years, the distribution companies of Odisha have collected Rs. 6110 crore more than the average electricity price approved by the commission. So far, no steps have been taken by the Odisha government to refund the excess amount to the consumers.
In the interest of the state, the Chief Minister has called a high-level meeting and the Samajwadi Party Odisha State Committee has demanded that the electricity companies in the state return the Rs 6,110 crore that they cheated from the state for a long time, from the financial year 2017-18 to the financial year 2024-25. The state government should immediately conduct a high-level investigation into the electricity fraud in the state and refund the dues to the poor consumers, said the Samajwadi Party’s Odisha State President Shiv Hati Yadav.
