MERC’s public hearing on MYT petition in city on February 10

 

 

As the decision on multi-year tariff (MYT) petition of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) is yet to achieve finality, Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) is set to hold its third public hearing starting February 3 onwards throughout the six divisions of the State. In Nagpur Region, the hearing is slated for February 10 at District Planning Committee (DPC) auditorium in Sadar from 10.30 am onwards.

 

The fresh hearing was necessitated due to nomination of new Chairman, and since composition of MERC has altered, the entire process has to be heard anew, states the rule. Sanjay Kumar, Chairman, MERC, retired before delivering the judgement on the tariff petition of MSEDCL, and he was replaced by Valsa Nair Singh, a career bureaucrat is the new Chairperson. The consumer activists said its strange that a MYT proceedings have dragged such long as it indicates the obstinate stance of MSECL which is not ready to listen to reason and hell bent on going against earlier decision that benefited the consumers. Sudhir Budhay, energy activist, says, the third hearing comes at a stupendous cost to the public exchequer. Every hearing is a costly process and whatever little gains that citizens might get, its doubtful, the same gets negated due to huge expenses incurred on such public hearings.

 

The first order on MYT came on March 2025 but same was disputed by MSEDCL which filed review petition and later MERC went for in-camera hearing that was later dismissed as against rules by Court following the challenge. So, MERC again held a hearing but before the regulator could complete the process, State again intervened and a new Chairperson was nominated. 

 

 

Sudhir Budhay said, the third round of the hearing may mar respondents’ enthusiasm as it is taxing to explain complex grievances like delayed net metering or open access thrice. Also, it is like shouting into void. Ultimately, frustration mounts when prior inputs are ignored amid judicial ping-pong, draining time from busy consultants and consumers already burdened by rising bills, he added.