Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Feb 22: "By the year 2025, the current electricity meters will be replaced with smart meters in all places. This ambitious scheme will be implemented in stages," said managing director of Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd (Mescom), Prashant Kumar Mishra.
He was responding to a farmer who pointed out during the public hearing relating to the proposal to revise the power tariff held at the auditorium of the office of the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada here on Monday February 21 that many pump set meters were not being read on a regular basis. The meeting was chaired by H M Manjunath, chairman of Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC).
Mishra assured that the smart meters will function efficiently and requested the people to join hands to make this programme a success.
He said that Mescom has been serving 61.55 lac people spread over 29 taluks of four districts and that it has been serving the people well. He said that houses without power connection are being searched and power connection is being provided to them under the 'Belaku' scheme. He also stated that new schemes have been drafted to make sure that entrepreneurs who operate hospitals, industries, commercial ventures, agricultural activities, ice plant manufacture and such other entities who are the main sources of income for Mescom are not budened, by way of new schemes. He also assured to take steps to see that unscientific power connections which cause deaths of animals and birds are set right.
Mishra said that several new power sub stations have been set up at Malpe in Udupi, Guthigar under Puttur etc to increase the income and to benefit the people. "KPTCL has also started works in Ulavi in Sorab taluk, Udupi and Thirthahalli for the upgradation of the power grid and to strengthen the same.
KERC chairman, H M Manjunath, who listened to the objections and views expressed by the people, farmers and industrialists, said that KERC has been continuously working for the benefit of the people and the officials have been advised to discharge duties sincerely to see that the people get all the facilities which they are eligible to. He asked the people to cooperate with Mescom to streamline the systems. He assured that power tariff revision will be done in a way that farmers and agricultural activities get boost and domestic consumers are not unduly burdened. He said he has noticed that ice plants hare suffering because of power tariff hike and assured steps to support fishing and other industries. He called upon the officials to ensure that electricity does not get wasted in gram panchayats, town panchayats and other departments and by making judicious use of street lights.
Teacher. Raveendra Gujjarabettu, Nazeer, and Devadas Shettigar drew the attention of the commission to their problems and gave certain suggestions.
Member of the public, industrialists Mescom officials, and other officials were present.