BENGALURU: A power tariff hike is unavoidable as development works have to be taken up across the state, said Power Minister Sunil Kumar here on Friday.
Bescom sources said the electric supply company is seeking a tariff increase of around Rs 1.5 per unit. The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), which clears the tariff hike, is expected to meet in April to take a decision.
Sunil Kumar said that huge pending bills are a burden and pointed out that BWSSB, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and other departments owe around Rs 16,0000 crore to electric supply companies.
He has apprised individual department heads and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai about this, the minister added. He said around 1,800 vacancies in the department were filled recently.Power generation from hydroelectric units was good this year because of good rainfall, he said.