Nagpur:
Despite the Maharashtra state government issuing a notification to provide special concessions in electricity rates for industrial units in Vidarbha, it later refused to grant the promised benefits. In protest, the Vidarbha Chamber of Commerce and Industries filed a petition in the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court.
The petition, filed in 2021, has already seen the court grant two final opportunities to the state and now one to the petitioner. With repeated adjournments, the matter is now deferred again until the second week of June. This time, the High Court took note of certain technical flaws in the petition and directed the petitioner to rectify them immediately.
Gold Rate
15 May 2025
Background:
On November 16, 2022, the High Court had directed the power department to submit its reply within three weeks. At that time, it was stated as the final opportunity. However, on January 24, 2023, the state again sought more time. The court, taking a strict stance, warned that if a reply was not filed within two weeks, interim relief might be granted to the petitioner. Despite this, the February 9, 2023 hearing was again deferred for two weeks, and now the matter is listed for hearing after six weeks.
Petitioner’s Argument:
According to the petitioner, the state’s Energy Department had issued two notifications on June 29, 2016, and March 24, 2017, promising various concessions to both existing and new industrial units in Vidarbha. One of the concessions included a 40 paise per unit discount in electricity tariff. Though the government never officially withdrew the notifications, it denied granting the benefit. A joint coordination committee formed by the petitioner submitted a memorandum to the then Energy Minister, but with no resolution, a court petition became necessary.
