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Karnataka PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi on June 13 said that the hike in power rates is temporary. “The issue is resolved soon,” he said.
He told a delegation of industry and trade body members that Chief Minister Siddharamaiah would soon hold a meeting of stakeholders and Electricity Supply Company officials to resolve the issue. “I will also hold a meeting in Belagavi with HESCOM officials,” he said.
He said that there was no need for them to think of migrating to neighbouring Maharashtra, as the issue of the power rate hike would be resolved soon.
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“I am also shocked to see that commercial users have got bills with twice or thrice the normal billing amounts. Even domestic users have also got such high amounts. I do not know why, but I am guessing it is because officials have added the additional amounts from last two months to this month’s bills,” he said.
He expressed helplessness that the State Government could not roll back the hike in bills as the Karnataka electricity regulatory commission had approved the rise.
“We are helpless about it as it is a KERC decision. We can only request them to reconsider it,” he said.
Adding that he had come to know that industrialists had complained to them that KERC had not consulted them before approving the price hike, he said, “We will communicate it to the KERC.”
“The BJP Government led by then CM Basavaraj Bommai had requested the price hike. But after its approval, the State Government kept the hike hidden from the public for three months. ESCOMs have started applying the new rates from April and have started adding the pending amounts to the present bills. I think that has caused the steep hike,” he said.
He said he was aware of the concerns of industrialists, weavers and housewives over the rise in power bills. The State Government will find a way to resolve it, he said.
