Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Mar 20: The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has approved an electricity tariff hike of 36 paise per unit, igniting a fresh political battle between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP.

The BJP has slammed the Congress government, accusing it of burdening the people with inflation while focusing on appeasement. State BJP president B Y Vijayendra criticized the move, stating, “Since the Congress came to power, all they have delivered is price hikes. This is the only guarantee they have truly implemented.” He further accused the government of failing to ensure sufficient power supply to farmers and neglecting outstanding electricity dues of government departments, which reportedly amount to Rs 6,500 crore.

Vijayendra also pointed out contradictions in the government’s policies. “On one hand, they claim to offer free electricity, yet on the other, they increase tariffs. The government is more concerned about appeasement than addressing the struggles of common citizens,” he alleged, adding that the BJP would raise the issue in the Assembly session.

In response, Congress leaders defended the hike, asserting that it would not impact the majority of the population. Minister for medical education Sharan Prakash Patil emphasized that 85 per cent of consumers receive free power under the Gruha Jyothi scheme. “The burden falls primarily on the government, not the people,” he said, dismissing BJP’s criticism as baseless.

Labour minister Santosh Lad reiterated that the KERC, an independent regulatory body, was responsible for the price revision. “The BJP is misleading people. The hike will not affect those benefiting from free power,” he stated.

However, senior BJP MLA Arvind Bellad countered this claim, arguing that the tariff increase was excessive. “The government says power supply companies are incurring losses, but the hike is almost double what was proposed. This is an unnecessary burden on the people,” he asserted.