<p>The delay in paying out the promised compensation to consumers for the power cuts they suffer may be due the power regulator’s preoccupation with fixing a new power tariff.<br /><br /></p>.<p>At least, this is what Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission sources suggested as the reason why the pay-for-power-cut scheme announced by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal himself in June is yet to see reality.<br /><br />The new tariff order is likely to be out in the next few weeks and the power-cut scheme may get concretised next month or later, said sources.<br /><br />The compensation, according to the proposal, would be paid to consumers only if a power cut lasts beyond one hour and disrupts supply to at least 50 homes.<br /><br />The indication of delay in the consumer-friendly scheme was made on Tuesday when residents braved an over three-hour-long power cut in Pandav Nagar area of Patparganj constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.<br /><br />Last week rioting erupted in Kalyanpuri area of east Delhi after residents came to roads after an alleged eight-hour-long blackout.<br /><br />Sources in the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission confirmed that the public responses sought on the pay-for-power-cut scheme are still to be considered, thus, there was more time needed to finalise it.<br /><br />“As of now, the work on the new tariff order is keeping the DERC members busy,’’ said a functionary in the Commission.<br /><br />The power-cut scheme would be finalised later, he said, indicating that the whole process may take around four weeks.<br /><br />Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced his government’s intention to set performance benchmarks for discoms and make them compensate consumers for unscheduled electricity cuts going beyond one hour.<br /><br />“All we want for consumers is uninterrupted and cheap power,” he said.<br />Power Minister Satyendar Jain said: “Work on bringing in the consumer-friendly compensation scheme is still under progress.”<br /><br />Officials said the compensation scheme can be implemented only after the existing provisions in the Electricity Act are amended on the basis of suggestions from public.<br /><br />The regulator is studying the proposal that says that there would be no penalty on the discoms for the first hour of a power cut during which they would be expected to set thing right.<br /><br />For the second hour of the power cut, the discoms may be asked to pay Rs 50 to each consumer – out of the at least 50 affected by the black out.<br /><br />For the third hour, and subsequent hours of electric supply disruption the distribution companies may have to pay at the rate of Rs 100 per hour.<br /><br />The compensation will not be payable if the power cut is caused by unavoidable local faults.<br /></p>
<p>The delay in paying out the promised compensation to consumers for the power cuts they suffer may be due the power regulator’s preoccupation with fixing a new power tariff.<br /><br /></p>.<p>At least, this is what Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission sources suggested as the reason why the pay-for-power-cut scheme announced by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal himself in June is yet to see reality.<br /><br />The new tariff order is likely to be out in the next few weeks and the power-cut scheme may get concretised next month or later, said sources.<br /><br />The compensation, according to the proposal, would be paid to consumers only if a power cut lasts beyond one hour and disrupts supply to at least 50 homes.<br /><br />The indication of delay in the consumer-friendly scheme was made on Tuesday when residents braved an over three-hour-long power cut in Pandav Nagar area of Patparganj constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.<br /><br />Last week rioting erupted in Kalyanpuri area of east Delhi after residents came to roads after an alleged eight-hour-long blackout.<br /><br />Sources in the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission confirmed that the public responses sought on the pay-for-power-cut scheme are still to be considered, thus, there was more time needed to finalise it.<br /><br />“As of now, the work on the new tariff order is keeping the DERC members busy,’’ said a functionary in the Commission.<br /><br />The power-cut scheme would be finalised later, he said, indicating that the whole process may take around four weeks.<br /><br />Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced his government’s intention to set performance benchmarks for discoms and make them compensate consumers for unscheduled electricity cuts going beyond one hour.<br /><br />“All we want for consumers is uninterrupted and cheap power,” he said.<br />Power Minister Satyendar Jain said: “Work on bringing in the consumer-friendly compensation scheme is still under progress.”<br /><br />Officials said the compensation scheme can be implemented only after the existing provisions in the Electricity Act are amended on the basis of suggestions from public.<br /><br />The regulator is studying the proposal that says that there would be no penalty on the discoms for the first hour of a power cut during which they would be expected to set thing right.<br /><br />For the second hour of the power cut, the discoms may be asked to pay Rs 50 to each consumer – out of the at least 50 affected by the black out.<br /><br />For the third hour, and subsequent hours of electric supply disruption the distribution companies may have to pay at the rate of Rs 100 per hour.<br /><br />The compensation will not be payable if the power cut is caused by unavoidable local faults.<br /></p>
