The state's power rates are anticipated to rise as state agencies prepare to impose fuel surcharges once more as a result of the acquisition of coal at exorbitant costs. On the April bill, there will be an additional charge of 31 paise per unit for the consumer. Following the imposition of the fee, Discoms will recoup Rs 562 crore, and it is anticipated that consumer bills will rise by between Rs 150 and Rs 600 depending on consumption.
Farmers and consumers who receive subsidies (50 free power units) will also be included, according to the orders. Consumers currently pay
an additional 35 pence per unit in the bill on average. "When the legislature adjourned, the order to levy the surcharge was passed. Orders were issued on Friday despite the fact that the power firms had already sent this request to the Energy Department in anticipation of a commotion in the assembly. The state is compelled to purchase coal at a high cost in order to generate electricity because Chhattisgarh's coal blocks do not regularly satisfy that need. 5.79 lakh metric tonnes of coal were imported from overseas a few months ago, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,042 crore. Fuel surcharges are applied to the discrepancy between coal's cost estimate and purchase price.
Only after mining activities begin in the Parsa mine in the Surguja region of Chhattisgarh is the coal crisis anticipated to be over. According to the source with knowledge of the situation, there are Supreme Court cases pending against the allotment of a coal block in Chhattisgarh to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RVUNL).
Also, a PIL has been launched to revoke the award of the coal blocks in Parsa East and Kanta-Basan, Parsa, and Kente Extension due to alleged environmental violations. The availability of coal for Rajasthan's thermal power plants has been negatively impacted by the delay in the delivery from Chhattisgarh's Parsa coal block. The state's "bridge connectivity" was suggested by the ministry of power last year.
