Row over entry of woman into Laxmi Mantapa of Kollur temple
Mangaluru, Oct 18: Even as a row is raging in Kerala over the Sabarimala temple, the entry of a woman into the Kollur Sri Mookambika temple's Laxmi Mantapa, open only for priests, has kicked up a controversy in Karnataka.
Udupi district Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis has asked sub divisional officers to submit a report on the entry of T R Uma, a former executive officer of the temple, into the Laxmi Mantap where only priests are allowed.
Uma reportedly entered the Laxmi Mantap without the knowledge of the current executive officer.
A video clip showing her entering the mantap located outside the sanctum sanctorum has gone viral on the social media Wednesday.
Uma, who had functioned in the past as the executive officer of the temple, was allowed entry into the Laxmi Mantap on the occasion of Navratri festival by some temple staff.
Other staff and devotees objected to the act saying it was not in order.
The current temple administrator H Halappa told reporters that action would be initiated against the temple staff who allowed her to enter the Laxmi Mantap and those who relayed the information to media, he said.
Temple priest K N Narasimha Adiga has also urged the deputy commissioner to take relevant action as the act will hurt the beliefs of hundreds of devotees of the temple.
According to temple management committee president Harish Kumar Shetty, the entry of Uma into the Laxmi Mantap during the 'Suvasini Pooja' of Navaratri is against tradition.
Suitable action will be taken on the matter after eliciting the views of the administrative officer and management committee members, he said.
The row has erupted even as Kerala is being rocked by the lifting of the ban on entry of women in the age group of 10-50.
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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.
