Bengal to get new powertariff order by July: KhattarFive hill towns to be broughtunder Swachhta Sarvekshan

PTI, May 31, 2026, Kolkata: Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said a new electricity tariff order for West Bengal is expected to be issued by the Electricity Regulatory Commission by the end of July.

Addressing newspersons after a review meeting of the state's Power and Urban Development departments, Khattar said the tariff proposal, which was due to be submitted by March 31, had not been filed by the previous Trinamool Congress government.

"The new tariff proposal will be submitted to the Electricity Regulatory Commission within the next month, and the revised tariff order is expected to be passed within a month thereafter," he said.

Khattar, who also holds the Housing and Urban Affairs portfolio, said certain discrepancies in tariff calculations were being addressed and would be resolved before the new order is issued. He said government support had helped offset losses of around Rs 15,000 crore incurred by the state's power utilities.

As part of long-term planning, he said the state Power Department would, over the next two months, assess West Bengal's electricity demand for 2029 and determine the required mix of solar, thermal and hydro power generation, along with battery and pumped-storage capacities.

Khattar also announced the rollout of smart electricity meters across West Bengal from July. Around 20 million smart meters will be installed in phases, beginning with government offices, government employees and government housing colonies, he said.

In the second phase, consumers with connected loads above 10 kilowatts will be brought under the prepaid metering system. Consumers, however, will continue to have the option of postpaid meters by maintaining a security deposit equivalent to three months' electricity charges at prevailing rates, he added.

On urban development, the minister criticised the previous Trinamool Congress government for not participating in national cleanliness assessments under the Swachhta Sarvekshan programme. He announced that the survey portal, which had already closed, would be reopened until June 15 to enable West Bengal's participation this year.

Since the state had not taken part in previous editions, its performance would be assessed separately and not compared with other states, he said.

"From 2027 onwards, West Bengal will participate along with the rest of the country, enabling a comparison of its urban cleanliness standards with those of other states," he added.

The Minister also announced that five hill towns in the state — Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik and another identified town — would be covered under a Centre-funded cleanliness initiative aimed at improving sanitation and enhancing the tourist experience.

Photo: Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar addressing the media after a review meeting on West Bengal’s power and urban development sectors.