Tribunal favours petitioners in Rajasthan power surcharge row

23 Sep 2022 CW Team

The Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) recently ruled that the state regulatory commission should revisit the subject of cross-subsidy surcharge on open access projects in Rajasthan as and when it takes up the tariff determination exercise in the future.

Rajasthan Textile Mills Association, Vedanta, Lord Chloro Alkali, Sunil Healthcare, Synergy Steels, Ambuja Cements, and Ultratech Cement had petitioned APTEL to assess the legitimacy of the state regulator’s determination of the cross-subsidy surcharge for the financial year (FY) 2016-17.

The petitioners have industrial units located in Rajasthan that have been granted open access within the contract demand and are drawing electricity through open access, including from power exchanges.

They challenged the state commission for hiking the cross-subsidy surcharge from Rs 0.18 ($0.002)/kWh, Rs 0.13 ($0.001)/kWh, and Rs 0.05 ($0.0006)/kWh for 132 kV consumers, 33 kV consumers, and 11 kV consumers to Rs 1.63 ($0.021)/kWh, Rs 1.39 ($0.017)/kWh, and Rs 0.83 ($0.01)/kWh.

The tribunal observed that the rates of cross-subsidy surcharge under the previous determination were Rs 0.18 ($0.002)/kWh for 132 kV consumers, Rs 0.13 ($0.001)/kWh for 33 kV consumers, and Rs 0.05 ($0.0006)/kWh for 11 kV consumers.

APTEL stated that the rates of cross-subsidy surcharge should not have been tampered with and it is unjust, unfair, and violates the prescribed norms and procedures and so it is set aside.

The tribunal directed the state commission to revisit the cross-subsidy surcharge when it takes up tariff determination in the future.

Real Estate

14 Aug 2025

MoHUA Sanctions 1.47 Lakh Additional Houses Under PMAY-U 2.0

In a major push towards the Government’s Housing for All mission, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has approved 1,46,582 additional pucca houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban 2.0 (PMAY-U 2.0) for 14 States/UTs, bringing total sanctions under the revamped scheme to 8.56 lakh.The decision came during the fourth meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC), chaired by Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary, MoHUA, at the Ministry’s Kasturba Gandhi Marg office. Senior officials, State Principal Secretaries, and PMAY-U Mission Directors participated ..

Piyush Goyal Inaugurates Expanded ISA Building at Intellectual Property Office

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, today inaugurated the newly expanded International Searching Authority (ISA) building at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) in Dwarka, New Delhi, marking a major step forward in India’s intellectual property ecosystem.Addressing the gathering, Goyal highlighted that innovation has been central to India’s heritage for centuries, citing the engineering brilliance of the Konark Temple as a historic example. He emphasised that innovation is not just intellectual property but a symbol of sovereignty, and a key driver in India’s journe..

SIEGER Boosts Automation in Mumbai Realty

SIEGER, a leading automation solutions provider, is expanding its advanced manufacturing capabilities to meet the surging demand for precision, high-speed automation in Mumbai’s rapidly growing real estate sector.Operating from a 21,000 m² advanced production hub in Coimbatore—part of a 40,000 m² integrated campus—SIEGER offers complete solutions from design and prototyping to manufacturing and deployment. The fully digitalised facility features CNC machining, QR-coded component tracking, conveyorized powder coating, and a Government of India–certified R&D centre, ensuring unmatc..