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Karnataka HC: No free power for KPTCL employees

Workers’ union had questioned withdrawal of free supply of power for domestic consumption.

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The high court on Monday ruled that Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) employees who joined service after 1997 will not get free electricity.

Earlier, in an appeal, the Karnataka Electricity Board Employees Union had questioned the withdrawal of free supply of power for domestic consumption.

A division bench headed by Justice K Sreedhar Rao directed that employees joining service after 1997 would not get free electricity.
KPTCL employees were enjoying free electricity supply for domestic consumption subject to certain conditions up to 1997.

KPTCL amended the Karnataka Electricity Board Recruitment and Promotion of Employees of the Board Service Regulations with effect from April 17, 1997. The Karnataka Electricity Board Employees Union then filed a petition questioning the withdrawal of free supply to prospective employees.

A single judge dismissed the petition. Later, the union filed an appeal in the high court, challenging the single judge’s order.
On Monday, a division bench headed by Justice K Sreedhar Rao, while hearing the appeal, upheld the single judge’s order and has directed that KPTCL employees who joined service after 1997 would not get free electricity for domestic consumption.

Earlier, the single judge, while dismissing the petition, had held that continuing the benefit of free power supply to existing employees and denying the same benefit to future employees is discriminative and in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. The judge had further observed that KPTCL, by exercising the power under Section 79(c) of the Electricity Supply (Undertaking) Act, had amended the regulations.

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