BANGALORE: The truth about the state government’s promise to provide quality power to all in the state came out on Monday when people appeared before the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission with complains about the service.Consumers from Mysore and Bidar districts complained against their respective electricity supply companies for long powercuts.B N Chanda, General Manager of Karanja Industries, said because of power interruption, his business has been affected and his company was losing Rs 10 lakh per month and even raw material was getting waste. He pointed out that they pay Rs 55 lakh as power bills every month.The number of power disruption cases reported in April and May in Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company (GESCOM) limits was 46 and 51 respectively. They had recorded power cuts for nearly eight hours on April 2 alone, the petitioner said.Another petitioner, Mufaddel Timber and Allied Private Limited from Mysore, complained of 5–12 hours of power cuts every day.“There is a constant power interruption leading to huge loss. We had complained to the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company [CHESCOM] in 2007, 2008 and 2009 but nothing happened,” they said.KERC admitted the petitions and directed to issue notices to GESCOM and CHESCOM. The hearing has been adjourned to July 14.‘Solar water heaters redundant’Opposing the compulsory installation of solar heaters, R K Rangarej from Gadag urged the KERC to amend the rules. The installation of solar water heater on new buildings is mandatory as per a government notification.Before implementing such laws, the ESCOMs should find out the climatic conditions and geography of place. “There are places in the state, where people do not require water heaters.Such situations should be taken into consideration before draft such rules,” he observed. KERC Chairman Sreenivasa Murthy admitted the petitions and has asked the government council to find a way to accommodate Rangarej’s request. The matter will be heard on July 14.
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