Mumbai, November 28
Adani Electricity, the power utility of Gujarat-based industrialist Gautam Adani which took over the Mumbai operations of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Energy, is under fire from consumers after a sudden surge in electricity bills.
Photo-copies of power bills posted by consumers on social media showed tariffs doubling in some cases in just a few months’ time. Since Adani Electricity is now a major power supplier in Mumbai’s suburbs, political parties have latched on to the issue.
Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena was the first off the block by putting up posters in different parts of Mumbai. The Congress was quick to follow with its Mumbai unit chief Sanjay Nirupam warning of protests if the tariffs were not rolled back. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s friend Gautam Adani is now here to loot the people of Mumbai,” a banner put up by the Congress in different parts of the city read.
Adani Electricity has, however, denied that it has raised tariffs. “There has been an undue perception created around Adani Electricity billing by a senior political party leader through various platforms,” the company said.
Adani went on to say that the power tariffs were decided by the power regulator MERC after a following due process.
The company went on to say that bills for the month of September witnessed an increase as its representatives could not read meters in some neighbourhoods due to an agitation by its employees. It further added that higher bills for the month of October because it was one of the hottest months because of which consumers may have had to use air-conditioning.
Anil Ambani’s Reliance Energy had sold its Mumbai power business to the Adani group for Rs 18,800 crores in cash and other assets in December last year.
