Punjab has decided to levy a crosssubsidy surcharge on industrial units that draw power from other states. In keeping with the open access policy, Punjab was amongst the earliest states to allow its consumers to draw power from external suppliers. With the proposed surcharge industrial units might end up paying more for external power as compared with that sourced from Punjab state electricity board. The cross-subsidy surcharge on open-access power purchase has been worked out at 74.48 paise per kwh. There are fears that others states might toe Punjab's line and impose similar charges for inter-state power purchase. There are around ten states, including Tamil Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, to have permitted industrial consumers within the state to source short-term power under the open-access policy. It is learnt that power tariff in Punjab is the highest and that this surcharge proposal might result in industries moving out of the northern state.

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