Bengaluru: Power Minister Sunil Kumar on Friday January 21 has informed that a power tariff hike is unavoidable due to the need to complete development works.
According to sources, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd. (BESCOM) has been seeking a tariff hike of around Rs. 1.5 per unit. The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), which approves the rate hike, will meet in April to make a decision.
Sunil Kumar added that large pending bills are a burden, noting that the BWSSB, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj departments, among others, owe over Rs. 16,0000 crore to electric supply companies.
He also said that he has informed individual department heads as well as Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai about this. Around 1,800 vacancies in the department were recently filled. Due to good rains this year, power output from hydroelectric units was good, he added.