KSEB wants to impose another surcharge

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is seeking a fuel surcharge to recover an excess Rs 165.68 crore spent on purchasing thermal power during the six-month period from April to September this year.The board has submitted a petition in this regard to the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC). The KSEB has requested that the surcharge should be imposed on all consumers, including bulk consumers with ‘immediate effect.’ According to the KSEB, the actual additional liability for the months April-September 2011 is Rs 176.19 crore, but Rs 165.68 crore only is admissible as per regulations of the Commission.The KSEB is already collecting 25 paise per unit from consumers whose  monthly consumption levels are above 120 units on an earlier petition.  Although the Commission had issued orders last July allowing the KSEB to recover Rs 181.14 crore as surcharge for the period from October 2010 to March 2011, the State Government had sat on it, and the KSEB started collecting the 25 paise surcharge only from October 1 onwards.