Govt. to stay power tariff hike

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, JAN. 4. The recent notification of the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL) effecting increase in power tariff for various categories of consumers is to be stayed by the Government pending an all-party meeting being convened by the Chief Minister, Mr. S.M.Krishna, to arrive at a consensus on the issue.

This was announced by Mr. Krishna himself who, while talking to newspersons who met him on his return from a brief private visit to Hong Kong, said he was in the process of finding a date convenient to every party. When it was pointed out that the KPTCL had already fixed the date on which the upward revision would take effect, Mr. Krishna said the KPTCL claimed that it was a corporation and therefore was supreme, but the Government felt that such decisions should be taken in consultation with it.

Mr. Krishna disagreed that any decision by the Government would be political in nature. It would be a decision that would take into account all factors including those to which the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) was a privy. Asked if the decision of the KERC approving the increase in tariff was not final, Mr. Krishna said he did not know the precise position of law under which KERC functioned, and perhaps what it had said was the final word.

Asked if in that event any purpose would be served by convening an all-party meeting, Mr. Krishna said perhaps the Government could ask the KPTCL to go before the KERC.

The Chief Minister said the KERC had examined the revision of tariff in the light of the plea by the KPTCL that such a revision was inevitable. The alternative was that the Government had to provide subsidy which was on the increase. This was the situation in which the Government was caught.When his attention was drawn to the execution of five irrigation projects by Andhra Pradesh to utilise the surplus waters of the Krishna under Scheme ``B'' of the Bachchawat Award, Mr. Krishna said the Cabinet meeting on Friday would discuss the matter in depth and decide on the course of action to be taken by the State.

Asked if Andhra Pradesh was taking advantage of the fact that it was a partner in the National Democratic Alliance at the Centre, Mr. Krishna observed that sometimes due to circumstances, such a situation arose for State governments for no fault of theirs. Mr. Krishna said the appointment of chairmen for boards and corporation had been delayed and this would be attended to. The committee he had set up to select suitable persons for posts had held two meetings. These appointments had nothing to do with the model code of conduct for the elections to local bodies, Mr. Krishna said and expressed himself against making too much of the code of conduct as there should be a limit to everything.

As far as developmental works were concerned, Mr. Krishna said the Government would continue the good work it had started last year and keep them going. In this, the Government would like to go on in a non-partisan manner working on a broad consensus, he added.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Of a near disaster and the providential escape
Next     : Arson in Bijapur, ban order imposed