Odisha to increase electricity duty for CPPs

The Odisha government has decided to increase the electricity duty from Re 0.30 per unit to Re 0.55 per unit for captive power plants (CPPs). The move has been criticised by the industry as the hike will result in an increase in the cost of production of aluminium by Rs 4,000 per tonne and that of steel by Rs 400 per tonne. Further, many CPPs in the state are already running at a plant load factor of 30-40 per cent and such a hike will make them unviable.