Rs 16K crore burden on escoms: CM Kumaraswamy

DHNS
February 6, 2019

Bengaluru, Feb 6: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said there is a huge financial burden on the Energy Department because it is providing free power supply and incentives to farmers.

He said that Bescom, Hescom and Gescom have a financial burden of Rs 16,000 crore towards loans and and pending bills.

He was speaking at the Customer Vigilance Awareness Meet 2019, where the Roof Top Evaluation for Solar Tool (Rest) and the logo of Electric Vehicle Recharge Stations were launched.

Kumaraswamy said the pump sets provided to farmers have helped them and the government has spent Rs 3,000 crore for this purpose. A subsidy of Rs 11,000 crore will also be given to farmers for electricity supply. Acknowledging that the Bescom employees are working to revive the company from losses and chalking policies and plans to break even, he also directed the public power utility to fix the loopholes in the organisation

He also said, “The Bescom can now heave a sigh of relief after launching new schemes in promoting and supplying solar energy.

It has started the exercise of supplying electricity through underground cables in most parts of Bengaluru and in the rest of the city, it will be done in phases. This will help in safety to people and leakages will be less.”

KERC Ombudsman N S Pattanashetty said many people are not aware of the customer grievance redressal cell in Besom. People should make use of this in large numbers, he advised.

Srinivas Avalali of Citizens for Bengaluru requested the Bescom not to provide supply to unauthorised buildings.

He also asked the people to honour the employees of Bescom as they are working towards the safety of consumers as it is a dangerous job.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

•    Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

•    STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

•    Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.