KERC in a pickle over power tariff hike

This time, the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) is in the dock. The commission has been asked to file an affidavit in the Karnataka high court to prove that it has complied with all regulations regarding the tariff hike.

In June 2011, all the Electricity Supply Companies (Escoms) had filed rate tariff applications with the KERC. The commission had even validated the applications and had asked them to issue public notices in all leading newspapers as per the KERC Tariff Regulations and Electricity Act, 2000.

“The commission had directed the Escoms to provide 30 working days to the public for filing objections to the applications. Except the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company [Bescom], no other Escom published this 30-day timeframe,” said Sridhar Prabhu, advocate arguing on behalf of the consumers.

It is alleged that the Escoms had not published the dates of filing objection on two days as per the regulations. “The Escoms are supposed to file objections on two consecutive days. While Bescom had published it on two days, Mangalore, Hubli, Gulbarga and Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Companies issued the public notices only on one day,” he said.

Challenging these issues, the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Nagaraj Shetty, Aravind Pai and DS Bhatt had approached the high court. “Even though, for all the Escoms, the last date of filing objection was September 14 and the public hearing was supposed to be on the same day, the hearing was held on September 12. This means that the consumers were not given enough time to file objections,” Prabhu said.

Now the HC has directed the KERC to file an affidavit to show that they have complied with the regulations. “Even at the first public hearing, 14 people had filed objections. We had extended the date from then to September 19. We had given 42 days’ time for filing objections and will submit documents to substantiate it,” said MR Sreenivasa Murthy, chairman, KERC.