Maharashtra Power Tariff: In a major announcement on Wednesday, June 25, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared that electricity tariffs in the state will be reduced in a phased manner for the first time ever. The move has been approved by the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC), bringing relief to lakhs of electricity consumers.

Fadnavis said that the power tariff will be cut by 10 per cent in the first year, followed by further reductions totalling 26 per cent over the next five years. He added that this is a historic step, as previous petitions used to propose tariff hikes of nearly 10 per cent, but this time, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) filed a petition to lower rates.

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The tariff reduction will benefit domestic, commercial and industrial users. Nearly 70 per cent of the state's consumers, who use less than 100 units of electricity per month, are expected to gain the most.

To improve daytime electricity access for farmers, the state government is speeding up the Mukhyamantri Saur Krushi Vahini Yojana 2.0. This scheme aims to provide solar-powered electricity to farms. The CM stated that by focusing more on renewable energy sources in power purchase agreements, the state can lower procurement costs and maintain affordable rates for the public.

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Meanwhile, the state may face another challenge from July 1, as transporters have announced an indefinite strike over several issues.

Under the banner of Vahatukdar Bachao Kruti Samiti, private bus and truck operators have raised objections to the “unfair” fines collected via e-challans and long-standing infrastructure issues. They had been staging a sit-in protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai since June 16.

On Wednesday, the protest was called off temporarily after Cabinet Minister Uday Samant promised to organise a meeting with police and transport department officials on Thursday. The action committee has said it will decide the next steps based on the outcome of the meeting.