Consumers in Karnataka will have to pay an additional 36 paise per unit of electricity as a surcharge from April 1, according to a recent order.
The move comes after the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) allowed energy supply companies (ESCOMs) to recover the government's share of pension and gratuity (P&G) contributions from consumers.
The P&G contributions will be revised for FY 2026-27 and FY 2027-28, with consumers paying 35 paise and 34 paise per unit, respectively.
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Following the Government of Karnataka's order, the Commission allows ESCOMs to recover the government’s portion of pension and gratuity contributions uniformly from their consumers as 'P&G Surcharge (Government Portion),' stated the KERC order dated March 18.
"The aforesaid levy shall come into effect from April 1, 2025, and remain in force for the entire duration of the control period, commencing from FY 2025-26 and concluding in FY 2027-28, or as decided by the government from time to time," it added.
Reacting, State BJP president B Y Vijayendra criticised the move, stating that since the "anti-people" Congress government came to power in Karnataka, the only guarantee it has implemented is "price hikes".
{{/usCountry}}Reacting, State BJP president B Y Vijayendra criticised the move, stating that since the "anti-people" Congress government came to power in Karnataka, the only guarantee it has implemented is "price hikes".
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"People of the state must be cautious about the 36 paise increase in power tariffs, as the current government is a pickpocket government. On one hand, they claim to be implementing guarantee (populist) schemes, while on the other, they are burdening the people with price hikes and taking back the money," he alleged.