Karnataka power tariff to rise by 36 paise per unit from April 1
Bengaluru, Mar 20 (PTI): Electricity consumers in Karnataka will have to pay an additional 36 paise per unit starting from April 1 as a surcharge, following a recent directive.
The move comes after the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) allowed energy supply companies (ESCOMs) to recover the government's share of pension and gratuity (P&G) contributions from consumers.
The P and G contributions will be revised for financial years 2026-27 and 2027-28, with consumers paying 35 paise and 34 paise per unit, respectively.
"In accordance with the Government of Karnataka's order, the Commission allows ESCOMs to recover the government’s portion of pension and gratuity contributions uniformly from their consumers as 'P&G Surcharge (Government Portion),' stated the KERC order dated March 18.
"The aforesaid levy shall come into effect from April 1, 2025, and remain in force for the entire duration of the control period, commencing from FY 2025-26 and concluding in FY 2027-28, or as decided by the government from time to time," it added.
State BJP president B Y Vijayendra criticised the move, stating that since the "anti-people" Congress government came to power in Karnataka, the only guarantee it has implemented is "price hikes".
"People of the state must be cautious about the 36 paise increase in power tariffs, as the current government is a pickpocket government. On one hand, they claim to be implementing guarantee (populist) schemes, while on the other, they are burdening the people with price hikes and taking back the money," he alleged.
Energy Minister K J George clarified that the pension and gratuity issues of Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (KPTCL) and ESCOM staff have been undertaken in accordance with a Karnataka High Court order issued in March 2024, and following this, the KERC has implemented a tariff hike.
"Our government has not increased the electricity rates by 36 paise per unit. The hike follows the Karnataka High Court's order, allowing the KPTCL and ESCOM staff to recover customer pension and gratuity payments. Based on this, the KERC has issued the directive. As a result, for the financial year 2025-26, the rate has been raised by 36 paise per unit," George's office said in a statement quoting him.
Noting that after the dissolution of the Karnataka Electricity Board (KEB) and the formation of KPCL and five ESCOMs, the then BJP government, for the first time in March 2022 submitted a proposal to the KERC, requesting approval to recover pension and gratuity contributions from customers, he said, "However, KERC did not approve the proposal at that time. Following the High Court's order, KERC has (now) issued a new directive."
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Delimitation shouldn't diminish representation of any state in LS, RS, says Jagan to PM
Amaravati(PTI): Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to carry out the delimitation exercise in such a manner that no state would suffer any reduction in representation in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha, especially in terms of the share of total number of seats in the House.
In a letter to the Prime Minister dated March 21, a copy of which was shared with the media on Saturday, the YSRCP chief highlighted that the gravity of the delimitation issue has the potential to disrupt the social and political harmony of the country.
"Request for the delimitation exercise to be conducted in such a manner that no state would have to endure any reduction in its representation in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha, in terms of its share in total no. (number) of seats in the house," said Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The opposition leader emphasised that the Constitution should be amended in such a fashion that no state would have to encounter any reduction in its representation in the House of the People.
Calling delimitation exercise a matter of utmost importance for the entire nation with the potential to have far-reaching impact, he said it not only affects the political representation of some states in policy and law-making but also affects the deep sentiments of vast sections of India's population.
"Sir, in light of this, I strongly emphasize the need for extreme caution while initiating the delimitation exercise," said Jagan Mohan Reddy, adding that the imbalance in population control between different states is a major issue.
His letter comes at a time when several parties are convening in Chennai at the invitation of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin to brainstorm on the delimitation exercise.
The 84th Constitutional amendment had extended the existing embargo for the delimitation process, which would rearrange the number of seats in the Parliament for states, till 2026.
YSRCP Parliamentary leader YV Subba Reddy forwarded Jagan Mohan Reddy's letter to the PM, to DMK party leaders, emphasising the need for a fair and balanced approach in the delimitation process.
However, YSRCP did not mark its attendance at the all-party meeting on delimitation organised by DMK, though two DMK leaders, Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister EV Velu and DMK Rajya Sabha member P Wilson, had personally called on Jagan Mohan Reddy and invited him recently.
Further, Jagan Mohan Reddy underscored that an assumption that the delimitation exercise would follow a likely census in 2026 has caused 'severe anxiety for several states', especially southern states, which fear that their representation would be diminished.
Though the 42nd and 84th Constitutional amendments had frozen the delimitation exercise with the hope that states would demonstrate a similar level of success with respect to family planning, the YSRCP chief observed that the 2011 census had proved it wrong.
"The share of the southern states in the country's population has reduced over the 40-year period between 1971 and 2011. We believe that the share has reduced even further over the last 15-year period," he said, noting that the southern states sincerely followed population control programmes.
Consequently, Jagan Mohan Reddy drew the attention of Modi to the potential erosion of southern states' participation in national policy-making and legislative process if the delimitation process is conducted on the basis of population as it stands today.
Hence, the YSRCP supremo noted that Modi's leadership and guidance at this crucial juncture is most vital and an assurance from the PM would contribute greatly to allaying the fears of several states.
