S G Vombatkere, President, Mysore Grahakara Parishat writes
The electricity consumers in the state have been subjected to highly unreliable electricity supply for the last few months. Lengthy power cuts (of up to twelve hours) have been imposed all over the state and the quality of life for the people has been severely eroded.
The electricity consumers in the state have been subjected to highly unreliable electricity supply for the last few months. Lengthy power cuts (of up to twelve hours) have been imposed all over the state and the quality of life for the people has been severely eroded.
Such a major shortage of power is not an Act of God which is beyond the powers of human anticipation. The power supply companies (ESCOMs) must have foreseen it and if they foresaw it, they concealed it from the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission in their Tariff proposal for 2008-9. We request the Commission to take action against the ESCOMs for this fraudulent lapse.
If on the other hand, the ESCOMs did not foresee this enormous power shortage, it indicates gross incompetence and inefficiency on the part of the ESCOMs. We request the Commission to take action against the ESCOMs for this incompetence and inefficiency.
It is reported in the media that power supply companies in Maharastra have been approaching the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission for any changes in power supply such as power cuts.ÿ Necessary deliberations in KERC in this regard, including public participation, can provide remedies for the electricity crisis in Karnataka.
We believe that there are credible methods to overcome the power deficit, but it requires determined and sincere effort on the part of the ESCOMs to implement them.
In this background, we request the Commission to urgently review the power supply scenario in the state, involve the public in the deliberations, and issue necessary directives to the ESCOMs.