Will not pay reliability charge: Users

The electricity consumers from Thane are not prepared to pay an additional 13 paise per unit as reliability charge. With the inclusion of Kalwa in their franchisee pattern, the reliability charge would have to be increased to 41 paise.“We are already paying 28 paise per unit with the hope of enjoying uninterrupted power supply. But during crisis period, irrespective of whether we pay reliability charge, we have to face power cuts as other consumers in the state,” said Appa Khambete, chairman of Thane Small Scale Industries Association. Another consumer representative said: “If Kalwa is included, the government must intervene and bear the additional cost.”