Pending dues: Escoms pull plug on govt engineering colleges in Karnataka

All 16 government engineering colleges and 80 polytechnics have had no power supply for the last few days as electricity supply companies have pulled the plug on them due to non-payment of bills.

This is the third time over the past year that power supply at government engineering colleges and polytechnics has been disconnected. Escoms decided to disconnect power supply as colleges have not cleared bills even after final notice.

According to college authorities, electricity bills are due since March 2022. Some colleges have dues up to Rs 13 lakh.

Sri Krishnarajendra Silver Jubilee Technology Institute (SKSJTI), one of Karnataka’s oldest engineering colleges located close to Vidhana Soudha, has to pay Rs 7 lakh to Bescom. College authorities told DH that they requested Bescom for more time.

“We are writing to higher-ups regarding the issue and if the power supply is disconnected we will have to depend on the generator and pay from our own pockets to buy fuel,” a college official said.

The principals of government engineering colleges say that the power supply disruption is affecting admissions. “Currently, undergraduate engineering admissions are going on and the lack of power supply will affect admissions. If this is the situation, who will dare to get admitted into government colleges?” a principal asked.

Not just admissions, it will be difficult to run the classes if there is no electricity at the colleges, another principal said.

“Engineering colleges depend mainly on electricity to run laboratories. How will we conduct practicals without power supply?”

“We’ve communicated this to officials in the technical education department. Some of us are struggling to keep washrooms clean. This is exactly what happened during last year’s admissions. Some colleges don’t even have power back-up. We feel ashamed to face this so often,” another principal said.

V Rashmi Mahesh, principal secretary, higher education told DH that the file to release funds is with the Finance Department.

“We have sent the file for re-appropriation of funds and it will be cleared in a week. We have also instructed officials concerned to include this while submitting a budget proposal,” she said. She added that this academic year, colleges will keep the fees they collect.