Mescom can't account for power worth Rs245 crore

[email protected] (Subhash Chandra N S, DHNS)
September 11, 2011

mescom

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.

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February 26,2020

Mumbai, Feb 26: Maharashtra cabinet minister and Congress leader Aslam Shaikh on Wednesday said that former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis made an irresponsible statement regarding the Shiv Sena-led state government's 'silence' on AIMIM leader Waris Pathan's remark. He added that as the incident took place in Karnataka, Fadnavis should ask Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa about the matter.

"This is an irresponsible statement given by Devendra Fadnavis. He should ask the same question to the Chief Minister of Karnataka where the statement was given," Shaikh said.

"Fadnavis should ask the same question to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah that why has he not been able to control the violence going on in Delhi," he added.

Earlier, on Tuesday, targeting Shiv Sena's silence over the recent controversial remark by Waris Pathan, Fadnavis said the Uddhav Thackeray-led party might be "wearing bangles" but the BJP was not and knew how to retaliate in the same manner.

"Shiv Sena might be wearing bangles but we are not. If someone says something then he will be given an answer in the same way. BJP has this much power," said Fadnavis while launching a scathing attack on ruling-Shiv Sena in Maharashtra for not taking strict action against Pathan.

On February 20, while addressing an anti-CAA rally, at Kalaburagi in Karnataka, Pathan had said, "Time has now come for us to unite and achieve freedom. Remember we are 15 crores but can dominate over 100 crores."

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News Network
January 10,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 10: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the murder case of journalist-activist Gauri, arrested absconding suspect Rushikesh Devdikar alias Murali (44) from Dhanbad district in Jharkhand on Thursday evening and is bringing him to the city.

Rushikesh is the 18th suspect arrested in the case, Chief Investigating Officer M N Anucheth said. The investigation has revealed that he was primarily involved in the conspiracy to murder Gauri.

Rushikesh, who was hiding in a house in Katras, Dhanbad, will be produced before the local Judicial Magistrate in Dhanbad on Friday, said Anucheth, adding that the SIT had searched his house for clues. "We will obtain a transit warrant from the court and then bring him to Bengaluru," the officer said.

Originally from Aurangabad in Maharashtra, Rushikesh's family still lives there.

Gauri Lankesh was shot dead near her residence at around 8.20 pm on September 5, 2017, by two bike-borne men.

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News Network
July 20,2020

Udupi, Jul 20: Five COVID Day Care Centres have been opened here on Monday with combined 870 bed for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients.

The Centres are set up at Karkala (1), Udupi (3) and Kundapura (1). Presently more than 100 patients are being treated in these Centres.

These Centres have been opened in the wake of high incidences of Covid-19 cases in the district. They are set up for asymptomatic patients who do not wish to be treated at home.

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