Residents across Vidarbha are facing steep electricity bills this summer, with Mahavitaran (MSEDCL) levying a transmission charge of ₹1.16 per unit — a levy that pro-Vidarbha activists and power sector analysts say is unjust given that 71 per cent of the state’s electricity is generated in the region.
Vidarbha produces approximately 7,200 MW of power, of which only 2,200 MW is consumed locally. The remaining 5,000 MW is transmitted to western Maharashtra and Marathwada — yet consumers in Vidarbha are billed for the transmission cost of moving that power outward.
“The electricity generated here goes to western Maharashtra, but the transmission charge is being paid by the people of Vidarbha. We also bear the pollution from power generation. This is a clear injustice,” said Mukesh Masurkar, president of the youth wing of the Vidarbha Rajya Aandolan Samiti.
Power analyst Gulabrao Dhande pointed to the precedent set by the state government, which had waived fuel taxes in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane on the grounds that petroleum products are produced there. “The same logic should apply to Vidarbha. Instead, transmission losses are being passed on to local consumers under the guise of ‘wheeling charges,’” he said, adding that electricity theft is higher in western Maharashtra but the financial burden is spread region-wide.
The transmission charge is compounding summer bills significantly — one consumer with a bill of ₹2,100 was charged ₹300 in wheeling costs alone. Mahavitaran also uses the elevated summer billing average to calculate security deposits, drawing further resentment from consumers.
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