India, March 31 -- Delhi power minister Ashish Sood on Monday indicated that the government was examining ways to avoid residents having to pay higher electricity bills even as the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) continued deliberations to finalise a plan for liquidating regulatory asset dues totalling over Rs.38,000 crore, following directions from the Supreme Court.

"The Delhi government will not allow the burden of increased power tariffs to fall on customers," Sood said. Officials, on conditions condition of anonymity, said that the regulatory assets, essentially dues to distribution companies, could be recovered in the form of a surcharge for consumers, which could potentially be offset by a subsidy.

Regulatory asset...