Chandigarh: Alleging that Haryana’s power distribution companies (discoms) are seeking to pass the burden of their financial mismanagement on to consumers, a power consumers’ group on Friday demanded that the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) uphold its regulatory independence while deciding petitions seeking recovery of over Rs 1,134 crore.The final hearing before HERC on petitions filed by the Discoms concluded on Friday. The petitions seek relaxation of provisions under the Multi-Year Tariff (MYT) Regulations, 2024, to allow recovery of 47 paise per unit as Fuel and Power Purchase Adjustment Surcharge (FPPAS) for 2025-26. The Discoms have sought recovery of Rs 1,134.54 crore, along with carrying cost, from consumers in subsequent financial years on a uniform per-unit basis across categories.The consumers’ group alleged that the Discoms’ financial position reflected years of mismanagement, with accumulated losses of Rs 27,915 crore, borrowings of Rs 27,248 crore and receivables of around Rs 10,000 crore.It also questioned the alleged payment of around Rs 1,300 crore to Sikkim Urja Ltd, a Greenko group affiliate, in October 2025 for power that, according to the group, was not supplied. The organisation alleged that the payment was made without mandatory approval from the chief minister while settlement negotiations were still underway.The group further claimed that 84% — Rs 950.09 crore — of the Rs 1,134.54 crore sought for November 2025 related to judicially determined past-period liabilities, including transmission charges, late-payment surcharges and supplementary invoices. It alleged that some of these recoveries related to 2022-23, raising questions over the mandatory timeline for levy and recovery.The consumers’ group accused the Discoms of adopting a “selective” approach, arguing that no similar urgency was shown when FPPAS calculations were negative and amounts were allegedly due to consumers.It has also opposed the Discoms’ attempt to invoke “removal of difficulty” provisions under Regulations 81, 82 and 84 to bypass the forfeiture provision under Regulation 68.1(3). Citing Supreme Court and Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) judgments, the group argued that such provisions cannot be used to amend substantive regulations or retrospectively revive forfeited claims.The group urged HERC to decide the petitions independently, citing Supreme Court observations on the need for “independence, efficiency and objectivity” in regulatory commissions and warning against regulatory capture.It said the final decision would have significant implications for nearly 84 lakh electricity consumers in Haryana.
