The Congress government in Karnataka and the opposition BJP are passing the buck on each other as people expressed outrage over the increased cost of electricity bills. Speaking in Shiggaon, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday, June 13, claimed that the power tariff was not raised during his tenure. However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the power tariff was raised during the BJP government rule in the state.
Talking to reporters, Bommai said, "The KERC is a statutory body. Though it proposed a hike in power tariff in March, we had not agreed. We had not increased the power tariff. Electricity fare has been raised after the Congress government came to power," Bommai claimed. "The power tariff was increased in April. This is a huge burden. The power sector is going to face a crisis in the coming days. The transport and power sector should be granted funds. It won't work if subsidies are given after a year," he said. "If power and transport sectors are not given funds and managed efficiently, the buses will stop plying and there will be no power," Bommai added.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said on Sunday that as per the recommendation of the previous BJP government, the electricity tariff had been increased. "However, the BJP is spreading lies that we have increased the electricity rates," he said.
The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) revised the power tariff on May 12. According to the KERC order, the power tariff was revised to an average of 70 paise per unit for all household connections in the state with retrospective effect from April 2023. Due to the revision of the tariff, an enhanced average of 70 paise per unit will be collected in June bills, said Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) Managing Director Mahantesh Bilagi. "We have been forced to implement this order," he said.
Since the order was passed with retrospective effect from April 1, 2023, the arrears will be collected in the June bill. The KERC also ordered for fixation of tariff in two slabs. According to the order, for consumption of the first 100 units, the revised energy charge is Rs 4.75 per unit, and if consumption crosses 100 units, the energy charge is Rs 7 per unit. The consumer has to pay a flat Rs 7 per unit if consumption crosses 100 units.
Before tariff revision, energy charges were fixed in three slabs. According to earlier energy charges, for consumption of the first 50 units, the energy charge was Rs 4.15 per unit; for consumption of another 50 units, the energy charge was Rs 5.60 per unit; for consumption beyond 100 units, the rate was fixed at Rs 7.15 per unit, Bilagi said.
The KERC also revised fixed charges. From 1 to 50 KW sanctioned load, the fixed charge is Rs 110. For a sanctioned load of 50 KW and above, the fixed charge will be Rs 210. According to Tariff Regulation Notification 2006 of KERC, all ESCOMs should file applications for seeking revision of tariff in November every year.