look news india
A famous poet had written tauntingly on the rising inflation – ‘My wallet is crying, looking at the rising prices… now inflation is directly stabbing the heart.’ This couplet is fitting perfectly on the electricity consumers of Uttar Pradesh these days. In Uttar Pradesh, where people were already troubled by unannounced power cuts amidst record-breaking heat and humidity, now another big burden of expensive electricity bills has been put on them.
Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL) has increased the electricity rates in the state. 10% fuel surcharge Have decided to increase. This increased fee will reach your homes by adding it to the electricity bill for the month of June. The surprising thing is that this is the second major shock to the electricity consumers in UP within the last four months, because earlier in the month of February also a similar fuel surcharge of 10% was imposed.
Understand how it will directly affect your electricity bill.
The mathematics of this 10% additional surcharge imposed by UPPCL is very simple. You will have to pay 10% more on the original bill for the electricity you use.
We can easily understand this from the two practical examples given below:
Power Corporation’s arguments behind increasing surcharge
UPPCL says that due to sudden increase in demand in the summer season, the cost of power generation and purchasing power from external sources has increased significantly in the state. To compensate for this additional expense, it became necessary to impose fuel surcharge. Mainly two big reasons are being given behind this:
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Record demand for electricity: Due to the scorching heat, the demand for electricity in the state has reached its peak, due to which the Power Corporation has to buy additional electricity at expensive prices.
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International Energy Crisis (Iran War): The ongoing Iran war has led to a global surge in fuel and crude oil prices. This energy crisis has also had a direct impact on the power generation centers of India, due to which generating electricity has become expensive.
Double blow to small traders and general public
The Power Corporation may have its own arguments, but at the ground level there is immense disappointment and anger among the people regarding this decision. The biggest hit of this decision will be on small shopkeepers and businessmen running factories. Since they run on commercial meters, their per unit rates are already higher than domestic consumers.
‘Chakravyuh’ of inflation
When a small shopkeeper’s monthly electricity bill increases from ₹3,600 to around ₹4,000, he will not be able to meet this additional loss from his own pocket. This will have a direct impact on the prices of goods sold at the shop. To avoid losses, shopkeepers will increase the prices of goods, the ultimate burden of which will again fall on the pockets of the general public.
Public’s question: When will there be freedom from price hike but undeclared cuts?
The people of Uttar Pradesh currently have not one, but two big reasons to ask questions to the government and administration. On one hand, the public is being charged expensive rates, and on the other hand, they are not even getting regular electricity. Since the scorching heat that started in the second fortnight of May, the electricity system in the entire state has collapsed. Hours are being reduced in the name of overloading and tripping.
This situation is when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Many times the officials have been instructed in strong words that in the scorching heat, the people of the state should get uninterrupted power supply without any interruption. But the ground reality seems to be completely opposite to the orders of the Chief Minister. Now people are facing the ‘current’ of expensive bills without getting adequate electricity.