Activists point to questionable expenses in Gescom annual report at KERC public hearing

Environmental activists and organisations urged the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) to defer support of the fiscal twelvemonth 2025 Annual Performance Report (APR) true-up filed by Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company (GESCOM) until the discrepancies pointed retired are examined and corrected done a revised submission, truthful that consumers are not affected.

KERC Chairperson P. Ravi Kumar and its subordinate H.K. Jagadeesh were holding a nationalist proceeding successful Kalaburagi metropolis connected February 23 to question the sentiment of consumers.

Social activistic Deepak Gala raised concerns implicit a ample discrepancy successful transmission nonaccomplishment figures reported by Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company Limited (GESCOM) and Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL). GESCOM reported losses of 5.68%, portion KPTCL recorded lone 2.95% for the aforesaid year. He noted that vigor astatine the communal interface should beryllium identical, fixed the usage of high-accuracy meters, yet the records disagree by 11,529.24 cardinal units, astir 13% of full vigor purchased successful FY25, with a fiscal interaction of astir ₹7,286 crore. He argued that this spread indispensable beryllium reconciled earlier the study is accepted/approved.

Objections were besides raised implicit powerfulness acquisition costs from Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) thermal units. Of 10,636 cardinal units bought by GESCOM for ₹6,332 crore, 1,820 cardinal units came from KPCL, with ₹382.96 crore paid arsenic capableness charge. Since the plants operated astatine lone 47% works load origin (PLF) against the expected 80%, Mr. Gala argued that ₹165.15 crore of the complaint was excessive, and should beryllium disallowed.

Concerns were highlighted connected the organisation transformer centre (DTC) metering. While 30,004 DTCs person meters, implicit 52,000 stay unmetered. Around ₹45 crore has been spent connected the system, yet losses person not dropped beneath the 5% target, helium said, and demanded a reappraisal of the expenditure.

Mr. Gala sought details on the expenditure of ₹27.69 crore for the replacement of damaged and deteriorated electrical poles by Gescom. The activistic said that astir 40,000 poles should person been replaced (for the expenditure cited), and questioned whether specified large-scale replacement had really taken place, arsenic determination has been nary noticeable simplification successful powerfulness interruptions oregon accidents. He requested carnal verification of the work.

Siddaramaiah Hiremath highlighted information issues, citing a tragic incidental successful Kalaburagi successful 2025 wherever a pistillate mislaid her manus and legs owed to low-lying electrical cables. KERC directed GESCOM to guarantee due compensation and warned that officials indispensable not unit the victim’s household to retreat their complaint.

Siddanna Kalshetty, a husbandman from Kalgi, complained astir the precocious outgo of obtaining an IP acceptable connection.

Residents of Sedam and Chincholi taluks alleged that GESCOM transformers and poles were being utilized for backstage layouts. They urged KERC to investigate, and guarantee accountability.

The activists appealed to KERC to cautiously analyse these discrepancies, and defer support of GESCOM’s financial year 2025 true-up until due verification is done. They emphasised that nary unjustified fiscal load should beryllium passed connected to energy consumers without thorough scrutiny and transparency.