Inflation in Electricity bills in Bhatkal: HESCOM assures Vartha Bharati of rectifying all errors
Bhatkal: In what has come as a relief for the people of Bhatkal who received inflated electricity bills during the COVID-19 lockdown period, the HESCOM has assured it will rectify all the errors made by its systems.
A local organization led by a team of social activists including Abu Hajar, Ruwaifa Kola, and Rabee Ruknuddin and guided by local leaders had carried a campaign to identify the households which had received inflated bills during the lockdown.
The campaign was launched after residents raised initial complaints on social media groups about their grievances.
In the campaign, the activists studied electricity bill cycles of 31 houses of various areas in Bhatkal and concluded that there was unprecedented inflation in the bills. A virtual press conference was subsequently called by the organization detailing their findings of the study.
A report was published in Vartha Bharati over the issue on Sunday covering the issue. The HESCOM officials were unavailable for any comment on the matter while publishing the report.
On Monday, after repeated attempts, Vartha Bharati sub-editor Ismail Zaorez reached out to the Managing Director of the power supply company who took note of the report and materials of the study provided to him and took up the matter with Assistant Engineer of Bhatkal Division directing him to look into the matter.
The In-Charge Assistant Engineer, Mr. Kamble soon contacted Vartha Bharati over the matter and assured that all the grievances and errors that had resulted in inflation of bills will be rectified. Kamble admitted that the systems of HESCOM had failed to apply the slab system on the bills during the lockdown period as bills of three months were issued at once.
Kamble said some of the issues were already rectified and the consumers whose issues were not rectified yet, can visit the HESCOM office. He assured that the slab system will be applied on their bills and the consumers will be asked to pay the sum of the amount with an actual meter reading of the respective months.
On being asked about the commercial entities being charged exorbitantly even when the shops and factories were completely closed due to the lockdown, Kamble said “As the shops were closed, we were unable to visit and check the meter readings. We had to issue average bills for them. Now since the shops are open, we will visit them and new bills according to their actual meter reading will be issued with them. They need not panic about it all the issues will be sorted”.
Kamble was also of the opinion that the consumption of households had naturally gone up as people, due to the lockdown had remained at homes, which automatically escalated the usage of appliances like fans, ACs, and TVs. He however said there was an error in the application of the slab system on bills and that had resulted in inflation of bills.
“People can visit HESCOM offices, and all their grievances will be sorted. This is our assurance” Kamble told Vartha Bharati over a phone call.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
