Nuclear option should not be resorted to by any side: Rajnath Singh to Russian Defence Minister
New Delhi, Oct 26: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday told his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu that the Ukraine conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy and the nuclear option should not be resorted to by any side.
In telephonic talks, Shoigu briefed Singh on the evolving situation in Ukraine, including his concerns about possible "provocations through use of 'dirty bomb'", the defence ministry said.
The conversation took place at the initiative of the Russian defence minister amid escalation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine.
"Singh reiterated India's position on the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy for an early resolution of the conflict," the ministry said.
"He pointed out that the nuclear option should not be resorted to by any side as the prospect of the usage of nuclear or radiological weapons goes against the basic tenets of humanity," it said.
It said the two ministers also discussed bilateral defence cooperation as well as the deteriorating situation in Ukraine.
There has been intensification of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine with Moscow carrying out retaliatory missile strikes targeting various Ukranian cities in response to a huge blast in Crimea nearly two weeks back.
Moscow blamed Kyiv for the blast.
The Indian embassy in Ukraine has asked Indian nationals to leave the country at the earliest in view of fresh wave hostilities.
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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.
