BJP hits out at Congress over electricity duty

State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Vishwas Pathak hit out at Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant over the issue of Electricity Duty (ED). Speaking to newspersons here at state BJP headquarters he pointed out that after the central Electricity Act came into force in 2003 the concept of Open Access was introduced. He said the previous Congress regime did not enforce the ED till it was voted out of power in 2014. Mr Pathak argued the BJP too could claim the government had lost revenue to the tune of Rs 650 crore.

The state BJP spokesperson argued that the proposed Maharashtra State Electricity Duty Act, 2016 would enable the government to levy ED not just on power consumption through Open Access (sale and purchase of power between private power producers and private consumers), but also on non-conventional energy, self consumption, cogeneration, supplementary power, power consumed by Mono and Metro Rail and power produced by Independent Power Producers. The proposed Act will enable the government to mop up revenue of Rs 460 crore by way of the ED in a year.

Mr Pathak said the government also brought the post of electricity inspector and the department which earlier was under the public works department (PWD) was brought under the control of the energy department. The electricity inspector’s job is to certify elevators and electrical fittings in new buildings. He added that the government move would help bolster the precarious financial condition of the state power utility Mahavitaran.