PHDCCI urges J&K regulator to rationalize power tariffs

SRINAGAR: The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) has urged the Jammu & Kashmir Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) to review recent power tariff revisions and ensure that consumers are not burdened with costs arising from systemic transmission and distribution losses.

In a detailed representation to the regulator, PHDCCI-Kashmir Chairman Vicky Shaw said that with smart metering nearing completion across Jammu & Kashmir, consumers are increasingly being billed accurately for their actual electricity consumption.

He argued that it would be inequitable to pass on the financial burden of aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses arising from ageing transformers, outdated conductors and transmission leakages to end-users.

“These losses are not a consequence of consumer behavior but reflect infrastructure deficits that fall under the Power Development Department’s operational ambit,” Shaw said, expressing confidence that the regulator and the department would work together to address structural challenges without placing undue financial strain on households and industry.

The Chamber has proposed a series of measures to improve efficiency in the power sector, including expediting 100 per cent metering across all consumer categories to ensure transparent, accurate and tamper-proof billing.

It also called for accelerated modernization of the distribution infrastructure under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), including timely replacement and upgradation of old transformers, feeders and distribution lines.

PHDCCI further urged the authorities to strengthen the distribution network by curbing technical faults and unauthorized electricity usage, thereby narrowing the gap between energy input and realized revenue without resorting to tariff increases.

The Chamber expressed concern that additional financial burdens on industries and domestic consumers, particularly amid prevailing economic pressures, could hamper commercial activity and adversely affect household livelihoods.

It urged the Power Development Department to focus on systemic improvements through better governance, technological upgradation, stronger administration and targeted completion of RDSS and IPDS schemes.

“Strengthening the grid and plugging loopholes is the sustainable path forward. The people of J&K should not be made to compensate for losses that are rooted in the system itself,” the representation stated.

The PHDCCI said coordinated efforts by the department to improve delivery infrastructure and consumers to pay transparently for their actual consumption could help build a more efficient and equitable power system in Jammu & Kashmir.