Guwahati : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday assured electricity consumers that the recently announced power tariff hike would be withdrawn once the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) recovers its accumulated losses, maintaining that the increase is a temporary measure and will not continue beyond five months.

Speaking to reporters at Vajpayee Bhawan, Sarma said the revised rates, which came into effect this month following approval from the Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission (AERC), were intended to help the power utility recover additional expenditure arising from higher electricity procurement costs.

“When we recover the losses, it would be withdrawn. The way it has been projected that it would be a big hike, it’s not like that. I am saying, it won’t be over five paise,” the Chief Minister said. Explaining the reasons behind the adjustment, Sarma linked the additional burden on consumers to rising power procurement costs amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia and higher international oil prices.

“When oil prices go up, we have to buy power at increased rates. Because of West Asia turmoil, oil prices have gone up. Till yesterday, it was Rs 115 per barrel,” he said, arguing that increased procurement costs had made the tariff adjustment necessary.

The revision is aimed at recovering accumulated Fuel and Power Purchase Price Adjustment Surcharge (FPPPAS) dues of approximately Rs 156 crore, excluding supplementary bills. The outstanding amount arose from variations in electricity purchase costs during the five-month period from April to August 2026.

APDCL had approached the AERC seeking permission to recover the accumulated surcharge through a staggered five-month schedule, beginning November 2026 and continuing until March 2027. The approved adjustment, however, varies across consumer categories.

Domestic consumers and those under the Jeevandhara category with sanctioned loads below 30 kW will face an increase of Rs 0.05 per unit. Other low-tension consumer categories will see an increase of around Rs 0.30 per unit. High-tension consumers with sanctioned loads exceeding 20 kW will also face an additional charge of Rs 0.30 per unit.

Sarma maintained that the revision should not be viewed as a permanent increase in electricity tariffs, reiterating that the additional charge would be withdrawn after APDCL recovers the outstanding amount. The five-month recovery exercise comes amid concerns over rising household and business expenses. The Chief Minister’s assurance is intended to address consumer apprehensions, although the actual rollback will depend on the recovery of the accumulated surcharge by the power utility.