Power outage poses threat to firms in Bangalore

Industries in Bangalore that contribute to about `1000 crore per day in tax revenue are waiting with trepidation for the imminent power outage. Apparently, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) has sounded this view to the industry chieftains, and not many seem happy about the idea.

BESCOM recently bid for ‘voluntary power cut’ for top power consumers between 6 pm and 10 pm. Its managing director P Manivannan had called a meeting of the heads of 60 top intensive power-consuming companies and asked them to go for power savings at peak hours so the saved power can be used for domestic consumers in view of the annual exams. However, the industries made it clear that they have very little leeway in the matter.

The worst hit areas of  power cuts will be industrial locales like Peenya and Rajaji Nagar. The Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) president NS Srinivasa Murthy offered the industry’s cooperation, if the BESCOM promised a steady power supply for the rest of the day.

Calling the exercise of voluntary powercut a blind man’s assessment of an  elephant, the Assocham co-chairman of Karnataka, J Crasta, said the industry is paying for the governmental folly of not going in for dedicated power feeder.

FKCCI’s industry committee chairman, MC Dinesh, said, unless industrial feeders are bifurcated between industries and residential properties, the BESCOM’s suggestion of voluntary powercut is merely a case of putting cart before the horse.