Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) Managing Director Bharatlal Meena on Tuesday apologised to the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) for violating its order regarding collection of transmission charges from five Electricity Supply Companies (ESCOMS).
Intervening during Mr Meena’s reply to the objections raised regarding the tariff filing application for the year 2008-10, KERC Chairman K P Pandey took Mr Meena to task for fixing and collecting 26 paise per unit as the transmission charge from ESCOMS in stead of 19.42 paise per unit fixed by  KERC.
Mr Pandey asserted the KPTCL was bound by the order passed by KERC. “If you have not implemented the order, the non-implementation will entail penal action”, Mr Pandey said. To this Mr Meena sharply said, KERC had not implemented the order passed by the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (ATE) on the transmission charges. Stating that KERC was also bound by the ATE order, Mr Pandey asserted that only KERC had the authority to fix the transmission charges. He  warned that those who violated law including the government would have to face consequences.
The argument by Mr Meena that KPTCL was an utility and to discharge it’s responsibilities it had collected the transmission charges at 26 paise per unit did not cut much ice with Mr Pandey. Finally the matter ended with Mr Meena tendering apology.

GROWTH IN POWER CONSUMPTION
The annual growth rate of power consumption in the State during the last couple of years was around 17 per cent,  Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) Managing Director Bharatlal Meena stated on Tuesday.
While reacting to the objections raised on the tariff application filed for 2008-10  by the KPTCL, Mr Meena said the consumption had increased by 16.42 per cent during 2005-06 and 2006-07 as against five to six per cent between 2001-02 and 2004-05. “This increase  could be attributed to system improvement works undertaken by KPTCL”, he observed. Earlier stating that KPTCL was taking proactive measures to build robust infrastructure for transmission of power, he pleaded for allowing capital expenditure of Rs 2020 crore planned for 2008-09. Th infrastructure improvement was a continuous process, he added. Mr Meena said that during 2006-07, KPTCL was able to spend around Rs 867 crore of the Rs 1750 crore permitted by KERC as it had begun the preparations for various projects during that period only.