Panchayat Raj institutions across Karnataka together owe about ₹9,000 crore as power dues to energy supply companies.
This was disclosed by Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge in the Legislative Council on Wednesday. Participating in a debate on the functioning of the panchayat raj institutions, the Minister said efforts are on to use renewable energy sources to reduce the power bill. “Currently, ₹9,000 crore remain as power dues to Escoms,” he said.
He said that normally once in five to six years, Escoms and the RDPR Department arrive at a final settlement, which is a burden on all. “This is a legacy issue and we are trying to solve it. We will try solar energy to power street lights as a pilot project to reduce the energy bill,” he said.
