Karnataka: High electricity bills deflate 'free' power logic; BESCOM staff attacked in Ramanagara

  Violence erupts as Karnataka's 'Gruha Jyoti' scheme, providing 200 units of free electricity per month, sparks disputes over increased unit prices. BESCOM staff were attacked by customers in Ramanagara, adding to a growing number of conflicts between consumers and power companies.

The ‘Gruha Jyoti’ scheme launched by the Congress government in Karnataka has been a cause for debate among the people of the state. According to the scheme, each and every household will get 200 units of free electricity per month. The per-unit price has been raised, and this has created a lot of disputes among the customers and the power distributor. On Sunday, things turned violent.

Two men tried to beat the BESCOM staff over a massive surge in their electricity bill at Tippu Nagara in Ramanagara district. In the morning, two linemen Rafeeq and Chinmay had been to Shahbaz Khan and Touseef Bhasha’s house for delivering the electricity bill.

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The customers, who were befuddled after seeing the massive amount printed on the bill, started to quarrel with the staff. They argued with the staff saying that they had come to deliver the bill despite the government issuing 200 units of free electricity.

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The two consumers started fighting with the linemen and even tried to beat them. The customers pushed them off and created a ruckus. They even threw the mobile of a person, who was trying to record the incident. 

BESCOM lodged a complaint against the consumers at the Ramanagara Police Station. Such incidents are increasing in the state. Just last month, many such disputes have been common among consumers and companies, where the consumers often argue that they are being denied free electricity by the Congress government.