No proposal before govt to hike power tariffs, says Energy Minister Sunil Kumar

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 30 (ANI): Karnataka Energy minister V Sunil Kumar has clarified on Wednesday that there is no proposal to hike power tariffs by the government and that the government has not issued any directive in this regard.
Speaking to ANI, Kumar said, there is a difference in the expenditure incurred due to higher costs of coal and petroleum products.
"A wrong message had been conveyed regarding the revision in power tariffs in some quarters," he said.
"There is no proposal before the government to hike the power tariffs but a practice of increasing power tariffs once a year while clarifying that consumers need not worry about the rumours of a power tariff hike," the minister said.
The state has 13 thermal power stations and it requires an adequate supply of coal and petroleum products, Kumar said.
There is a revision in fuel cost adjustment charges every quarter in tune with the market rates that are accrued to the ESCOMs.
The minister said the regulator KERC has the right to recommend a revision in power tariffs based on these costs.
Earlier on June 27, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai instructed the extension of the term of the one-man committee headed by retired IAS officer G Gurucharan for the rejuvenation of Electric Supply Companies (ESCOMs) in the state. (ANI)