Mescom can't account for power worth Rs245 crore

[email protected] (Subhash Chandra N S, DHNS)

September 11, 2011

Bangalore, September 11: The Mangalore Electricity Supply Company (Mescom) has said it cannot account for power it purchased for its consumers at a cost of Rs 245.77 crore.

Seeking a tariff revision for 2011-12, the company has told the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KREC) that it bought 525.77 million units (MU) of energy for its customers, but the latter had not consumed the power.

In its Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) for 2011-2012, Mescom has admitted that it has not received the mysterious 525.77 mu, although it had paid for it. The commission has scheduled the escom's submission for hearing on September 19, when the company would have to explain the discrepancy.

In its submission, Mescom has said that it is not aware where the power has gone, leaving the power consumers furious. “We want to know why the Mescom paid for the unused power. The company owes an explanation to the consumer,” says Satyanarayana Udupa, General Secretary, Bharathiya Kissan Sangh from Udupi.

Mescom told KERC that it supplied its consumers 4,275.86 MU during 2010-11, while the actual consumption was 3750.09 MU. It, however could not account for 525.77 mu.

When the commission questioned the power supplier about the discrepancy, a sheepish Mescom asked that its consumption figure for the forthcoming year be reduced by

Rs 151.84 crore to adjust for the discrepancy.

“Mescom purchased power at a cost of Rs 1,131.51 crore. The missing Rs 245.77 crore was included in that figure. They have made a false submission stating that they purchased power at a cost of Rs 2.888 per unit, but they actually purchased it for Rs 4.67,” said Sridhar Prabhu, a power expert and an advocate, citing the company's ARR (Annual Revenue Requirement).

“Mescom should have argued that the power purchase rate was Rs 4.67 paise a unit and not at Rs 2.888, and they could have sought a reduction of Rs 240.27 crore from their ARR, which would have reduced the burden on consumers by Rs 88.43 crore,” said another power expert, speaking on condition of anonymity.

However, statistics apart, what happened to the power that Mescom is supposed to have bought, remains a mystery. Neither any distribution company in the State nor the State Load Dispatch Centre has claimed to have utilised 525.77 mu purchased by Mescom, deepening the mystery. Even the KERC daily report has been unable to account for the missing power.

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.

JDS managed to win 19 seats in 2023 Karnataka polls thanks to Muslim votes: C M Ibrahim

News Network

November 26,2024

Former minister and ex-MLC C M Ibrahim claimed that he still heads the original JD(S) and asked former prime minister and party supremo H D Deve Gowda to cut ties with the BJP, so that the party can be strengthened again. He also said options are being explored to either strengthen the JD(S) or to float a new regional party.

He was speaking to media persons, in Mysuru, on Monday, after meeting JD(S) MLA and former minister G T Deve Gowda, who has expressed his displeasure that he has been sidelined in the party and the party leaders have indicated his retirement from politics.

He stated, “If Deve Gowda had joined the Congress, during the last Assembly election, he would have been a minister now. We retained him in the JD(S), to strengthen the party. Now, efforts are being made to strangulate Deve Gowda’s political career. I have discussed all matters with Deve Gowda. In two days, I will start a Karnataka state tour and meet some leaders. After that, I will meet Deve Gowda again, and then decide on the further course of action.”

Ibrahim said, “The original JD(S) is ours. I am still its state president. All documents and accounts are in our name. Even now, if Deve Gowda leaves BJP’s company and returns, we will build the JD(S) again”.

“Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy should mend his ways and stop making JD(S) into a family-owned company. The JD(S)’s situation has become hopeless. Its love for the BJP is over. He should understand this,” he said.

“When I was with Kumaraswamy, he spent just Rs 4 crore in Channapatna and won by 20,000 votes. Now, without me, he spent Rs 150 crore and still lost by 25,000 votes. Without Muslims’ support, the JD(S) cannot win a single seat. Now, it is proved that 19 MLAs of the JD(S) won in 2023, because of Muslims,” he added.

Speaking on other options available, Ibrahim said, “We have not yet decided to go with the Congress. We are only considering to establish a third front. Whether it is founding a new regional party, forming a third front, or strengthening the JD(S), will be decided shortly.”

Earlier during the day, before meeting Deve Gowda, Ibrahim had said, that 12 to 13 JD(S) MLAs were dissatisfied with the party, but like Deve Gowda, were enduring pain.

“Now, I have started the task of uniting them. I as the JD(S) state president, it is my responsibility to address our MLAs’ grievances. At present, the JD(S) is on fire and all JD(S) MLAs want to protect their respective constituency. Hence, they have started speaking one by one,” he said.

Comments