It’s going to be a double whammy for the people of Telangana soon. One cannot say for sure whether it would be before the Huzurabad bypoll or after, but the power tariff and the RTC bus fares are all set to shoot up. But the people will have to pay through their nose for using power and traveling in the bus.
The last time the power tariff was hiked was in 2016-17. Now, a hike has become inevitable, say the Discom officials. They said that while the per unit cost is Rs 7.31, what the Discoms are charging is just Rs 6. 29. So the Discoms are left with no option but to effect a hike of up to Rs 1.50 per unit on commercial connections and 50 – 70 paise on household connections. Thus the Discoms will mop up an additional Rs 2000 – 2500 crore. Highly placed sources say that the CM is left with no option but to give his nod to the hike.
Sources say that the Centre has given nod to the State Governments to revise the power tariffs on a quarterly basis.
Similarly, the TSRTC is contemplating to effect a hike in the bus fares by 20 – 30 per cent to reduce its losses. However, the hike would be in a graded manner. The Pallavelugu and Ordinary buses will have lower hike, while the deluxe, luxury and inter-state buses will see a steeper hike.
The RTC feels that it can increase its income through non-ticket income. Through this mode , it can earn up to Rs 600 crore every year. The RTC has Rs 60000 crore worth of wasteful lands, which it can sell off or give on lease to generate income. The daily expenditure of the RTC is between Rs 13 and 14 crore, while the daily income is Rs 9.95 crore.
