Bommai urged to revoke amendment on KPTCL pension

BENGALURU: Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA) urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to withdraw the amendment to the Karnataka Electricity Reforms, to claim the government portion of pension contribution through tariff. “The government, by amending the Karnataka Electricity Reforms, has directed KPTCL to claim the government portion of pension contribution through tariff, by filing an application before the State Regulatory Commission,” stated KN Narasimha Murthy, president, KASSIA.

KASSIA termed it as an “illogical and unwarranted recovery of an institutional liability from consumers”. The government announced a latest downward revision of tariff only in Bescom and Mescom limits, this is a limited relief and is virtually nullified if a portion of pension contribution is recovered from consumers, it stated.

Murthy said micro and small-scale industries are reeling under many burdens imposed by the government. He said the consent fee levied by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and property tax have been increased by over 100 times, which has no rationale. There has also been an increase in property tax, he said.

These multiple burdens will collectively hit the nearly 5,35,320 small-scale industries and over 15,147 HT consumers severely. “Our assessment is that quite a few of the micro and small scale industries might shut down temporarily or permanently or even consider shifting their operations. This will directly affect the livelihood of more than 1.5 crore family members of those working in MSMEs,” he said.

DALITS ACCUSE GOVT OF FUND DIVERSION
Mysuru: Accusing the state government of diverting funds earmarked under Karnataka Scheduled Castes Sub- Allocation and Tribal Sub-Allocation Act, 2013 and Rules of 2017, the Dalit organ­isa­t­ions demanded that section 7D of the Act be dropped. The special act was legislated to ensure bud­get allocation proportional to the SC/ST population. President of Dalit organisations, Manjunath, demanded section 7D be removed to put an end to diversion of funds, and added there has been a lack of political will.