Bengaluru:With the Assembly elections over, the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has announced a steep hike in power tariff across all the Electricity Supply Companies (ESComs) in the State.

Announcing the hike at Bengaluru this morning, KERC Chairman M. K. Shankarlinge Gowda said that the decision on the hike had been taken following meetings with all stakeholders.

Giving a brief on power tariff  hike, Shankarlinge Gowda said that tariff has been hiked by 82 paise per unit in BESCom (Bengaluru), Re. 1.13 in CESC (Mysuru), Re. 1.23 in MESCom (Mangaluru), Re. 1.13 in HESCom (Hubballi) and Re. 1.62 in GEScom (Kalaburagi) limits.

Pointing out that percentage wise, the power tariff has been hiked by 13 per cent in BESCom limits, 18% in CESC, 19% each in MESCom & HESCom and 26% in GESCom limits, he said that the tariff hike has come into retrospective effect from April 1.

Continuing, the KERC Chairman said that all the stakeholders, including the ESComs had placed proposals before the Commission to increase the tariff from 83 paise to Re.1.10, citing drought and coal shortage.

The KERC held consultations with power consumers and companies from Feb. 19 to Mar. 2, 2018 during which KERC officials allayed the fears of consumers, he added.

The KERC was to revise the tariff in April but the decision was put on hold on the  State Government’s request as it did not want to antagonise the voters ahead of the Assembly elections, it is learnt.

The KERC had hiked the power tariff by 48 paise a unit in Mar. 2017, an increase of 8 per cent as compared with 2016.