Why power tariff hike not illegal: HC

Staff Correspondent: The High Court (HC) issued a rule asking the authorities concerned why the decision of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) for hiking power tariff in retailer and wholesale level, would not be declared illegal.

A HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal issued the rule after hearing a writ petition on Sunday.

The court also asked BERC, Chairman of BERC and secretary Power, Energy and Mineral Resources ministry to reply the rule within four weeks.

Earlier on May 23, Engineer Mobashwar Hasan filed the writ petition on behalf of Consumer Association of Bangladesh.

Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua moved for the petitioner during the hearing.

Later, Jyotirmoy Barua said that BERC held a mass hearing from September 25 to October 5 in last year. According to the law, it was supposed to give a written order within 90 days after mass hearing. But, the tariff of power was hiked on November 23 without giving any written order.


risingbd/Dhaka/May 27, 2018/Mehedi/Nasim