Only 329 of 8,728 hospitals in K'taka meet fire safety standards, raising safety concerns
Bengaluru: A startling revelation has come to light as only 329 of the 8,728 registered government and private hospitals in Karnataka comply with mandated fire safety standards, sparking serious questions about the safety of patients and staff.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, responding to a question by Legislative Council member Dhananjay Sarji, disclosed that merely 14 out of 2,878 government hospitals and 315 of 5,850 private hospitals have implemented the required fire safety measures, according to a report by The New Indian Express published on Tuesday.
As per the National Building Code, all hospitals in the state are required to adopt uniform fire safety protocols. However, the vast majority have yet to meet these standards. In 2024 alone, three hospitals reported fire-related incidents, prompting a special meeting to address the issue, which previously had not received adequate attention.
The assessment revealed that 2,864 government hospitals are currently non-compliant with fire safety regulations. Gundu Rao estimated that achieving fire safety clearance for all government hospitals would cost approximately Rs 550 crore.
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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.
