The government plans to bring it to Rs6 per unit, the actual production cost of the power, which the industries have been demanding since long.
To woo Indian and international investors ahead of the global event of "Make in India" at BKC next month, the Maharashtra government is mulling to reduce the power tariff for industries by Rs1.5 per unit making the state at par with the states like Gujarat.
The government plans to bring it to Rs6 per unit, the actual production cost of the power, which the industries have been demanding since long. The energy department has mooted a proposal in this regard which may cost state exchequer a whopping Rs1,000 crore a year. Currently, the industrial tariff is Rs7.5 per unit. Only a year ago, the government has brought down the industrial tariff from Rs8.5 to Rs7.5.
If approved by the cabinet next month, the fresh tariff would be applicable from April 1, 2016. The government dropped a hint in this regard on Tuesday ahead of the meeting of industries from Thane and Palghar areas which was held at Sahyadri to understand their problems.
The move is reportedly backed by the report of a high level committee constituted by the government a few months ago. It aims not only to give a positive signal to manufactures in the state but to also to boost the Make In India campaign ahead of the global event planned next month in Mumbai.
The three member committee headed by power commissioner of Nagpur Anup Kumar was tasked to evaluate the reduction of industrial tariff and its impact if the government accepts industries' long pending demands.
Aurangabad and Amravati energy commissioners were other two members. The committee submitted its report to the government recently.
Confirming the development energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said: "The committee has said that the tariff can be reduced by Rs1.5 if we charge only production cost of power waiving few other charges. This would cost us Rs1,000 crore a year which we will have to pay to Mahavitaran. The findings of the report would be placed before cabinet soon and if our proposal gets approval, the tariff can be reduced after March 31."
Bawankule, however, clarified that the final approval to this proposal would be given by the Maharashtra Electricity Regulation Commission (MERC).
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