Agartala: Amid mounting public anger over allegedly inflated electricity bills, the Tripura Electricity Regulatory Commission (TERC) has directed Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) to strengthen consumer outreach and grievance redressal mechanisms.

Consumers have complained of multifold increases in power bills without adequate explanation. Against this backdrop, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath recently held separate meetings with Power Department officials and TERC Chairman Hemant Verma to review the situation.

TERC sources said the commission had issued guidelines to TSECL to improve public engagement, but alleged that several directions had not been effectively implemented.

TSECL had sought approval to recover Rs 1,709 crore from consumers through fixed charges and regulatory surcharge. According to TERC sources, approving the entire proposal could have resulted in a 147 per cent increase in fixed charges. The commission instead approved Rs 479 crore, while allowing only a little over 10 per cent increase, amounting to around Rs 117 crore, for the current year.

The fixed-charge structure has also been revised from a per-connection system to one based on sanctioned load. For domestic consumers, the charge has been fixed at Rs 70 per kilowatt per month.

TERC, however, noticed instances where prepaid consumers recharging twice in a month were allegedly being charged the monthly fixed charge twice, contrary to its guidelines.

Sources said tariff revisions and recovery of losses were necessary for TSECL to comply with Central government requirements, particularly to qualify for grants under the result-linked Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).

At the same time, TSECL has been asked to address billing errors and improve recovery of outstanding dues. Sources claimed dues remained unrecovered from nearly 50 per cent of consumers, while technical glitches had also resulted in abnormally inflated bills in some cases.

To address grievances, TERC has directed TSECL officials, from the managing director to senior managers, to spend two hours twice a week hearing consumers and resolving complaints. The initiative is proposed to be conducted as “TSECL at Your Doorstep.”

TERC has also advised a phased and more scientific approach to smart-meter installation, accompanied by greater consumer awareness, instead of hurried implementation that sources said had contributed to the current public backlash.