Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Feb 8: The general public, particularly the farmers, were up in arms against the proposal of Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd (Mescom) to hike power tariff. Mescom having jurisdiction over Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts had claimed that it has been facing revenue deficit of Rs 706.39 crore and therefore, it has no other option but to increase the power tariff to make good this deficit.

Chairman of Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), Shambhu Dayal Meena, held public hearing about the revision of power tariff, at the auditorium of Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner's office on Thursday February 7. He listened to the arguments placed by the participants and Mescom officials. Leaders of several consumer organizations who participated in the meeting, stood their ground, asking KERC not permit escalation of power charges.

Mescom managing director, Snehal R, said that Mescom expects revenue collection of Rs 3,447.12 crore during 2019-20 but expenses amount to Rs 4,253 crore. Therefore, she felt that there is a need to hike the tariff by Rs 1.38 per unit.

Satyanarayana Udupa, representing a consumer organization, pointed out that Mescom is yet to collect Rs 1,231 crore from various companies since the last ten years. He felt that if the company collects this money, it can reduce the tariff instead of increasing it. He said that main cause of loss to Mescom is happening because of buying power from various power companies including Udupi Power Corporation Ltd, which results in additional expenditure of Rs 150 crore annually. He pointed out that the government provides free power to agricultural pump sets. He accused Mescom of claiming full subsidy from the government illegally without providing power connection to all the pump sets and not supplying uninterrupted power.

Ramakrishna Sharma Bantakal objected to collection Rs 10,000 development fee for new connection. Kanara Chamber president, Abdul Hameed, urged supply of quality power to industries. Some others said that Mescom office staff speaks arrogantly when their office is called and there is no proper response when Mescom control room bearing No. 1912 is contacted. Certain consumers said that certain concerns registered as charitable have been getting power at concessional rates for running educational institutions, hospitals etc but they do not provide charitable service to people and collect fee running into crore of rupees. They also pointed out that some charitable institutions have built halls in the city through which they earn huge amounts of revenue.

KERC chairman, Shambhu Dayal Meena, asked Mescom to consider consumer complaints seriously, and act to provide quality power and good maintenance. He wanted it to become customer-friendly. He said that after considering suggestions and demands, a suitable decision about revision of tariff would be taken.