Now Bescom falls short of meters

Bescom is adding new lines in places like Electronic City where the demand has shot up with the increasing consumers.

The people there had been sharing power from a single line for years. But there is a dark side to the rolling stock at Bescom. While the supply company needs to fix 1,200 electric meters, new consumers are already queuing up at their doors. At present, they have just 600 meters.

The Karnataka Power Contractors and Consumers Welfare Association said it had become difficult for them to provide for the new consumers as there was not much stock.
The meters available in the market were priced at double the rate.

“For the past two months, the demand for meters has been rising but there are no meters in the market. While the cost of a meter-box at subsidised rates is Rs400 to Rs500, some of the sellers in the market are selling them for Rs1,200, which is unaffordable. We are waiting for the Bescom officials to have talks with the government,” said ND Veeranna Bacche Gowda, president of the association.

The government rate for a normal mechanical meter is Rs836. The association alleges that Bescom is not offering help to the contractors.

However, Bescom has already appealed to the government and the state court to fix a flat rate across all supplying companies. The court has stayed the order till January 9, 2011.

“We are awaiting the court order on January 9, 2011. Till then, we request consumers to give us some time,” said a top Bescom official.

The case was filed last year against suppliers who charged extra.

“The problem is not small, we were getting meters at subsidised rates and if the stock does not come at that rate, it will be difficult,” said Bacche Gowda.

Bescom is also installing a new 66KV line along the Old Airport Road as the demand for power in and around Indiranagar and Old Airport Road had increased.

They installed high capacity 66KV lines from Rajajinagar to Anada Rao Circle in Malleswaram in the beginning of the year.