Karnataka power tariff to rise by 36 paise per unit from April 1
Bengaluru, Mar 20 (PTI): Electricity consumers in Karnataka will have to pay an additional 36 paise per unit starting from April 1 as a surcharge, following a recent directive.
The move comes after the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) allowed energy supply companies (ESCOMs) to recover the government's share of pension and gratuity (P&G) contributions from consumers.
The P and G contributions will be revised for financial years 2026-27 and 2027-28, with consumers paying 35 paise and 34 paise per unit, respectively.
"In accordance with the Government of Karnataka's order, the Commission allows ESCOMs to recover the government’s portion of pension and gratuity contributions uniformly from their consumers as 'P&G Surcharge (Government Portion),' stated the KERC order dated March 18.
"The aforesaid levy shall come into effect from April 1, 2025, and remain in force for the entire duration of the control period, commencing from FY 2025-26 and concluding in FY 2027-28, or as decided by the government from time to time," it added.
State BJP president B Y Vijayendra criticised the move, stating that since the "anti-people" Congress government came to power in Karnataka, the only guarantee it has implemented is "price hikes".
"People of the state must be cautious about the 36 paise increase in power tariffs, as the current government is a pickpocket government. On one hand, they claim to be implementing guarantee (populist) schemes, while on the other, they are burdening the people with price hikes and taking back the money," he alleged.
Energy Minister K J George clarified that the pension and gratuity issues of Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (KPTCL) and ESCOM staff have been undertaken in accordance with a Karnataka High Court order issued in March 2024, and following this, the KERC has implemented a tariff hike.
"Our government has not increased the electricity rates by 36 paise per unit. The hike follows the Karnataka High Court's order, allowing the KPTCL and ESCOM staff to recover customer pension and gratuity payments. Based on this, the KERC has issued the directive. As a result, for the financial year 2025-26, the rate has been raised by 36 paise per unit," George's office said in a statement quoting him.
Noting that after the dissolution of the Karnataka Electricity Board (KEB) and the formation of KPCL and five ESCOMs, the then BJP government, for the first time in March 2022 submitted a proposal to the KERC, requesting approval to recover pension and gratuity contributions from customers, he said, "However, KERC did not approve the proposal at that time. Following the High Court's order, KERC has (now) issued a new directive."
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Thane court sentences man to life imprisonment for bludgeoning wife to death
Thane (PTI): A court in Maharashtra's Thane district sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his wife, whom he attacked 22 times with a hammer in front of his children, based on the testimony of his 13-year-old daughter.
Principal district and sessions judge S B Agrawal found the accused, Vijay Mishra alias Samir Shaikh, guilty under sections 302 (murder) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The court sentenced him to life imprisonment and a three-year term to be served concurrently. It also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for the murder charge and an additional Rs 10,000 for injuring his minor daughter and mother-in-law, who had tried to intervene during the fatal attack.
Additional public prosecutor Rashmi Kshirsagar informed that 11 prosecution witnesses, including the accused's daughter, were examined during the trial.
According to the prosecution, the victim, Zarin Israr Ansari, had been living with her mother, along with her daughter and a six-year-old son, for two years following prolonged domestic violence and disputes.
The accused, who had converted to Islam to marry Zarin 14 years prior, harboured deep resentment over her living separately and suspected her character.
On the afternoon of September 28, 2023, the accused stormed into his mother-in-law's residence in Mumbra with a hammer concealed in a bag, cornered his wife on the mezzanine floor, dragged her down, locked the main door, and repeatedly bludgeoned her.
The court defended the testimony of the victim's 13-year-old daughter, who was an eyewitness and had sustained injuries herself, noting that minor inconsistencies do not degrade the core truth of an innocent child's account:
"...they are not of any significant consequence since it is not expected from such a witness of 10 years of age to have a total photographic memory to be reproduced before the court. But as far as the incident is concerned, evidence of this witness is totally free from any reasonable doubt."
The prosecution had also stated that the accused had locked his family inside and threatened a neighbour by brandishing a "bomb-like thing" and declaring he would blow up the building if anyone intervened.
The victim's brother eventually broke down the latched door, disarmed the accused, and pinned him down until the police arrived.
The post-mortem report revealed that the victim had suffered 22 brutal injuries and had died due to severe head wounds.
