South Mumbai residents might have to continue to pay the Transport Deficit Loss Recovery (TDLR) even in the month of April, as the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) is to get clarity fro
South Mumbai residents might have to continue to pay the Transport Deficit Loss Recovery (TDLR) even in the month of April, as the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) is to get clarity from the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) on whether to discontinue it.
The BEST has recovered TDLR to the tune of Rs 2,300 crore for the past two years and plans to recover Rs 5,500 crore if it is going to be recovered for the next four years. The MERC had asked the BEST to stop the recovery from March 31 but the matter is stuck, with officials still deliberating over the issue. As a result, the previous rule — charging the TDLR will still continue, said BEST general manager Jagdish Patil. “We, as BEST management, have no say at all over continuing to take the TDLR or not. It will be only the MERC that will decide; but until this happens, the old rule will automatically be continued,” he said.
Over a month ago, the BEST committee members had taken to walking out during meetings when the management had asked the MERC permission continuing them to take TDLR, as it is the only source of income that has been keeping the undertaking afloat.
Members responded to Mr Patil’s statement by saying that they would not allow it to happen. Kedar Hombalkar from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena was one of those who opposed the move and said that the undertaking couldn’t continue it and that it was the BMC’s responsibility to figure out what happens next. “We should stop overcharging our 10 lakh power consumers the losses we incur in our transport wing. Let’s just stop the TDLR and let the BMC figure out how to run the BEST. It is their responsibility,” he said. The BMC is the parent body of the BEST and the latter has to go through the former for financial and other decisions as well.
The committee members finally agreed to convene separately to resolve the issue but this means that South Mumbai residents will have to pay TDLR for the coming month.
