Karnataka govt decides to waive Rs 389 Cr arrears of beneficiaries of three power schemes
Bengaluru, Nov 21: The Karnataka government has decided to waive arrears to the tune of Rs 389 crore of 'Kuteera Bhagya', 'Bhagya Jyoti' and 'Amruta Jyoti' scheme beneficiaries who were either getting power free of cost or at a highly subsidised rates, Energy Minister K J George said on Tuesday.
It has already merged these three schemes with its ambitious 'Gruha Jyoti' scheme offering free electricity up to 200 units to residential power connections.
"Earlier, beneficiaries of 'Kuteera Bhagya' and 'Bhagya Jyoti' were getting 40 units and 'Amruta Jyoti' beneficiaries 75 units. We have decided that those getting 40 units will now get 50 units plus 10 units and those getting 75 units will get an additional 10 per cent," George told reporters.
"There were huge arrears of Rs 389 crore of the beneficiaries of 'Kuteera Bhagya', 'Bhagya Jyoti' and 'Amruta Jyoti' schemes. I spoke to the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) and he decided to waive it," the Minister explained.
George also told reporters that the government had called tenders for solar substations and seven bidders have been shortlisted who will provide 750 MW.
The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission has fixed a rate of Rs 3.17 per unit, the Minister said, adding, many farmers at Pavagada in Tumakuru district have come forward to provide 8,000 acres of land to those generating solar power.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
