Congress high command steps in to tackle dissent: Surjewala to meet MLAs
Bengaluru: Amid growing dissent within the ruling party, the Congress High Command has decided to intervene directly to address discontent among its legislators. Party General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala is scheduled to arrive in Bengaluru on Monday to hold one-on-one discussions with Congress MLAs.
This development comes just days after the state government completed two years in office. Several legislators and ministers have recently raised concerns over issues such as power-sharing, centralization of decision-making, the so-called “September Revolution,” and even the possibility of a change in leadership — all of which have caused significant embarrassment to both the government and the party.
Earlier, during Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's recent visit to New Delhi, senior party leaders had reportedly advised him to rein in lawmakers from making statements that could damage the party’s image. However, the continued airing of grievances in public has prompted the High Command to take more decisive action.
Surjewala’s office has directly contacted the MLAs and shared his meeting schedule. Dissatisfied legislators are expected to present their concerns and complaints during these individual sessions.
Among those likely to meet Surjewala are senior MLA B.R. Patil, who alleged that housing department benefits were being given only to those who paid bribes; Raju Kage, who raised the issue of lack of development funds; and N.Y. Gopalakrishna, along with several other disgruntled lawmakers.
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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.
