Caste bias row: Rohit Pawar seeks removal of Pune college principal from govt panel
Mumbai (PTI): NCP (SP) general secretary Rohit Pawar has demanded that the Maharashtra government remove a Pune college principal from its youth and sports policy committee, following allegations of caste bias by a former Dalit student.
The former BBA student alleged caste bias and claimed the Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce had withheld his job verification, a charge denied by the institution which clarified that it had sent the document to his UK-based employer and he had not lost his job.
The college has refuted the allegations of caste discrimination, calling them baseless.
Pawar has, however, accused the college of showing "Manuvadi" ideology and demanded the removal of its principal Nivedita Ekbote from the state government's core committee to frame policies for youth and sports.
"If there are individuals with Manuvadi ideologies as well as those harbouring casteist grudges in the committee that formulates the state's sports and youth policy, then what will be the future of the state's youth?" he said in a post on his social media handle on Monday.
"This committee should include people who work towards how to get jobs abroad, and should not include individuals who cause the youth to lose job opportunities abroad due to casteist grudges," Pawar added.
He demanded that the government immediately remove the "controversial members" from the committee and restructure it.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
