Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG), Chennai, in collaboration with the Anmol Foundation, Raipur organized a capacity building workshop for domestic, commercial, small and medium enterprises’ electricity consumers on 16 November 2024, at Hotel Swarn, Mahasamund district, Chhattisgarh. This workshop is part of the initiative to improve consumers awarness of state electricity tariff, electricity conservation measures and government schemes. The goal of the workshop was to educate consumers with the information and resources they needed to actively engage with the electricity sector.
Participants at the workshop
The program was coordinated by Mr. Sanjay Sharma, Anmol Foundation. Dr Suresh Shukla, Nidan Sansthan, welcomed the gathering and emphasized the importance of energy conservation measures. Simple measures like switching off utilities at the wall, when not in use, and replacement of conventional electrical appliances with energy efficient appliances (for example, LED bulbs, 5 star rated AC etc.) were mentioned.
Welcoming the gathering
Dr. Ekta Langer’s addressed to participants
Dr Ekta Langer, wife of District Magistrate, Mahasamund district, presided over the meeting as the chief guest. Dr. Langer spoke about the importance of electricity, and the need to conserve it in our everyday lives, stressing on the transition to renewable energy. Moreover, she appealed to the participants to be aware of government schemes like the PM Surya Ghar Yojana scheme for installing rooftop solar.
Mr. Manikandan’s (CAG) presentation to participants
Mr. M. Manikandan, Researcher, CAG, explained the current tariff structures for domestic and commercial establishments set by the Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Limited, as well as government subsidies through the PM Surya Ghar and PM KUSUM schemes. He highlighted the significance of understanding the power factor, particularly the penalties imposed on consumers when it falls below 0.7. Additionally, he stressed the importance of contracted demand and maximum demand in electricity bills.
Mr. Sanjay Sharma, discussed the importance of creating awareness about clean energy transition through capacity building workshops and seminars. Also, he spoke about the roles and responsibilities of Consumer Fora and the Electricity Regulatory Commission. Moreover, he explained how to register complaints with the electricity board through consumer grievance forums.
Mr. Sanjay Sharma ’s address to participants
Conclusion:
The participants at the capacity building workshop learned about the importance of adopting energy-efficient electrical appliances over conventional ones, the existing tariff structures in Chhattisgarh state, the benefits of rooftop solar installations, and the available government subsidies. Additionally, information related to consumer grievance redressal concerning electricity issues was explained to the participants.