Minister for Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology NS Boseraju, during the State Council meeting at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Monday. | Photo Credit: Special Event
The state government clarified on Monday (March 16) that there is no proposal before it to increase the fixed charge in domestic electricity tariffs.
Briefing in the Legislative Council on behalf of Power Minister KJ George, Floor Leader NS Boseraju said that the proposal submitted for rate revision does not contain any recommendation to increase the fixed charge for domestic consumers.
Responding to a question by JD(S) member CN Manje Gowda, Mr. Boseraju said that any proposal to revise electricity rates must be submitted at least 120 days in advance. The proposal submitted on November 29, 2025 did not contain any mention of the increase in the fixed charge for domestic consumers, he said.
Mr. Boseraju also informed the House that the six power distribution companies (Escoms) in the state have collectively incurred losses of ₹ 4,516 crore in 2024-25. Of this, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (Bescom) alone accounted for a loss of ₹2,802 crore.
He said the matter is currently under consideration by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) and the government is awaiting a decision on measures to offset the losses.
Bescom’s losses
Explaining the reasons for Bescom’s losses, Mr Boseraju said the company charges almost ₹1 less per unit compared to other Escoms. While KERC fixed the tariff at ₹9.54 per unit, Bescom collected only ₹8.59 per unit from its consumers, resulting in a revenue shortfall of ₹1,678 crore.
Besides, while KERC sanctioned power purchase cost of ₹27,190 crore, Bescom’s actual expenditure was ₹27,895 crore, which it said means an additional burden of ₹706 crore.
Mr. Boseraju also said that under the state government’s Gruha Jyothi scheme, ₹25,076 crore has been spent so far to provide free electricity to about 1.65 million households across Karnataka.
Published – 16 March 2026 21:09 IST
