Assam electricity tariff hike is temporary, says CM Sarma
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated the increase will be withdrawn once the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited recovers its losses.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assured consumers on Tuesday that the temporary electricity tariff hike will be withdrawn once the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) recovers its losses.
According to The Assam Tribune, the increase follows approval by the Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission (AERC) and is effective this month. Sarma said the hike would last only five months and would not exceed five paise.
The Chief Minister linked the revision to rising power procurement costs caused by higher oil prices and turmoil in West Asia. He noted that oil prices had reached Rs 115 per barrel.
APDCL faces accumulated Fuel and Power Purchase Price Adjustment Surcharge (FPPPAS) dues of approximately Rs 156 crore, excluding supplementary bills. These dues arose from power purchase cost variations between April and August 2026.
The utility petitioned the AERC to recover the surcharge through a staggered schedule from November 2026 to March 2027 for the 2026-27 financial year.
Proposed adjustments include a Rs 0.05 per unit increase for Jeevandhara and domestic low-tension consumers with loads below 30 kW. Other low-tension and high-tension consumers with loads above 20 kW will see an increase of around Rs 0.30 per unit.