Plug transmission losses and pilferage, Bescom told

While on one hand consumers applauded the Bescom for improving the quality of their operations, they attacked the firm on quantitative grounds.

On the first day of the public hearing conducted by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Monday, the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (Kassia), Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), South Western Railways (SWR), Karnataka Electricity Consumers’ Organisation (KECO) and Prashant Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association pointed at the failure of Bescom in booking illegal pump sets and preventing power theft and its misuse.

MLC Ashwath Narayan said: “If the company can stop transmission and distribution losses, theft and misuse of power, there would be no need for raising tariff. Many cases of power thefts and misuse are reported from places like Tavarekere, KR Puram, Jigani, Anekal and Devanahalli. The company should crack down on elements indulging in such activities and disconnect their lines. Also by spreading safety awareness, accidents can be brought down along with company’s losses.”

Kassia called for tariff revision. Its legal counsel, Rajaram Shetty, argued that the maintainability of power supply had not been achieved. Hence Bescom’s application to raise power tariff should not be entertained by KERC, he said.

“Time of Day metering was brought in the December 2010 hearings. But no step has been initiated … 442 meters are unmetered in industrial areas for which the worksheet has not been provided. The MD does not provide any audited figures, he provides only projections,” said Rajaram. “The Bangalore metro has been given a separate category and is charged less (about Rs4.7 per unit). Why should the BIAL have to pay at the rate of Rs7.23,” asked Sridhar Prabhu, who argued for BIAL.

Prashant Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association member PL Rao said the Bescom was punishing the domestic consumers by asking for a uniform tariff hike of 88 paise. The growth of this section of consumers had not increased compared to that of commercial and industrial consumers.

South Western Railways (SWR) said several projects related to electrification of tracks in Karnataka would be hit if the proposed power tariff hike was approved.

DD Mishra, senior divisional electrical engineer of SWR, said: “The railways has not hiked fares for passenger trains for seven years while the Bescom has hiked its tariff two times in two years and now appeals for the third time.”