75 living wills seek passive euthanasia in Mumbai, numbers expected to rise
Mumbai: Mumbai’s civic body has received 75 notarised living wills from individuals seeking passive euthanasia in the event of irreversible coma or terminal illness, following a recent court-approved case that renewed focus on end-of-life decisions.
Officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) were quoted by Madhyamam as saying that the documents have been submitted in accordance with the legal position permitting passive euthanasia but added that there are no detailed operational guidelines for implementation.
Applicants have specified that life support may be withdrawn if they are left with no prospect of recovery due to serious illness or accident. The civic body is maintaining the documents in safe custody.
Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde was quoted by Madyamam, that while the corporation is authorised to hold such letters, it does not have the mandate to execute them. “Any patient who submits an euthanasia letter, we keep it safely, but its implementation is the responsibility of the family. The court has allowed us to hold these letters, but we cannot execute them ourselves,” she said.
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling legalising passive euthanasia under certain conditions, ward-level medical officers have been tasked with monitoring submissions. Maharashtra authorities are also considering the creation of an online portal to streamline the filing process.
The recent surge in living wills comes after the death of 31-year-old Harish Rana at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. Rana had remained in a coma since 2013 after falling from the fourth floor of a building while he was an engineering student. His parents approached the court and obtained permission to withdraw life support.
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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.
