Elon Musk to relaunch Twitter's Blue Tick subscription service on Nov. 29
New York (PTI): Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has said that Twitter's coveted USD 8 blue tick subscription service will be relaunched with verification on November 29, days after the microblogging platform temporarily halted it following a surfeit of fake accounts.
Before Musk took control of Twitter on October 27, the blue tick was given to celebrities, government heads and other celebrities after their accounts were verified by the site's platform.
The USD 8 subscription fee announced on November 6 was a measure to retain advertisers and generate revenues.
The move, however, led to a surge in imposter accounts, forcing Twitter to temporarily halt the service.
"Punting relaunch of Blue Verified to November 29th to make sure that it is rock solid," Musk said in a tweet on Tuesday.
With the new release, changing someone's verified name will cause the loss of the blue check "until the name is confirmed by Twitter to meet terms of service", Musk said.
Last week, Musk indicated that he would relaunch the blue tick subscription service.
It marks a chaotic three weeks for Musk ever since he clinched the USD 44 billion deal to acquire Twitter.
Since his takeover, Musk has fired nearly half of the popular microblogging platform's workforce, including its CEO Parag Agrawal and even raised the spectre of the company going bankrupt.
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Gruha Jyothi, drought in state contribute to 11.35 pc increase in power consumption in 2023-24
Bengaluru: The overall power consumption on domestic basis across Karnataka has increased by 11.35 per cent between August 2023 and July 2024, with all electricity supply companies (escoms), except the Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), recording a rise of 10 to 19.75 per cent this year.
The power use has increased by 3.76 per cent within BESCOM limits, which includes not only Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts but also other districts like Ramanagar, Tumakuru, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Davanagere and Chitradurga in 2023-24, reports Deccan Herald.
The increase is being attributed to the extension in drought and high-temperature days in the state as well as to the implementation of the Gruha Jyothi scheme by the state government, as the number of beneficiaries has increased during said period by 7.13 per cent.
In contrast to the hike witnessed in the state this year, Karnataka had recorded a 4.64 per cent increase in power consumption in 2022-2023, as households had used 16,089 million units (MUs) in 2023-24, which was 1,263 MUs higher than the number of units consumed in 2022-23.
While the six escoms in Karnataka provides electricity to around 1.98 crore households in total, more than 1.69 crore users have enrolled for Gruha Jyothi. Of these, 1.6 crore users have availed of the benefits of the scheme.
The government had given a 10 per cent buffer on the average power consumption of 2022-23, for the households to receive zero-electricity bill, with Energy Department sources informing that the state government had predicted the power consumption in Karnataka to rise by 10 per cent at most, as compared to 2022-23.
The state government had, however, not allocated additional funds in the budget for the scheme, although it has been clearing escom dues regularly, a senior officer has said.
Another senior officer confirmed that drought and high temperatures have contributed to the increased household power consumption across the state. However with good rainfall this year, the power consumption could be expected to return to its average level, the officer added.
Low rainfall in the summer of 2023 had reduced the power supply in the state, forcing escoms to also reduce supply to irrigation pumpsets. Several areas in the state also used to report scheduled load shedding. There have been instances where the government has purchased power from private players and national grid at Rs 7.42 to Rs 10 per unit during peak season, said the officer.
The state currently depends on renewable energy sources, including hydro, wind and solar powers, to meet 63 per cent of its requirements.
