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If you are already feeling a dent in your pockets, owing to fluctuation in the prices of essential commodities, get ready to pay more for electricity supply.

On Tuesday, Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (Cesc) Limited proposed to hike 70 paisa per unit of power supplied, at a meeting convened by Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) at the office of deputy commissioner to elicit public opinion.

Tabling the requisition, managing director of Cesc G Shikha sought the revision in power tariff to the customers excepting the beneficiaries of Bhagyajyothi and few other government schemes.

Addressing the chairman of KERC M R Sreenivas Murthy, the managing director of Cesc reasoned that unlike other sectors, the corporation has to mobilise revenue from its internal sources to take up development works. The budget for financial year 2012-13 was Rs 560 crore, of which majority of the amount has been utilised under different plans.

Elaborating on the demand and supply of power in the jurisdiction of Cesc spread over Mysore, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu and Hassan districts, the managing director said purchase of power for the year 2013-14 is projected at 6,874 million units (MU) against the energy purchased till the end of December 2012 at 4428.77 MU, average cost of supply Rs 2,471.59 crore in 2012-13 that may escalate up to Rs 2,619.58 crore in 2013-14, average cost of supply per unit of power at Rs 4.77 (Rs 4.66) and average realisation is at Rs 4.27 (4.32).

The estimated revenue generated in the year 2012-13 is Rs 1,442.05 crore and the following year it could be Rs 1,586.37 crore. The revenue gap (net gap) in the current financial year is Rs 137.18 crore and the following financial year could see an accumulation of another Rs 75.82 crore.

The managing director emphasised on considering the proposal, whatever could be the objections from the public.

C S Subbaiah from Kodagu Irrigation Pumpset  Users Association categorically opposed the hike saying, the revenue gap could be addressed by plugging transmission and distribution losses.

He appealed to the chairman of the session to consider coffee along with other agricultural produces. Subbaiah alleged that the officers warn of initiating action in case of any elephant deaths due to electrocution in the estates. He termed it illogical.

Raveendra Prabhu from Mysore Industries Association (MIA) said pending arrears running up to Rs 1,602 crore from government departments (local bodies) and agriculture should be collected instead of overburdening the existing consumers.

Secretary of MIA Sureshkumar Jain, though supported the proposal, sought only a hike of 10 paisa. Advocate Savita Ranganath questioned the rationale behind the meeting as the electricity supply companies go ahead with hike every passing year.
Chairman of Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MCCI) S Sudhakar Shetty vehemently opposed the hike plans.

Members of the commission Vishwanath Hiremath and K Sreenivas Rao, director (technical) of Cesc Bhagya Nayak and others were present.