Spat in Assembly over free power scheme

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Congress and BJP MLAs on Monday got into a shouting match on the floor of the House over electricity prices and the Gruha Jyoti Yojane that offers free power.

Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was making a speech blaming the Congress government for allegedly not living up to their original promise as per the free power scheme.

He was then rebutted by Industries Minister MB Patil. Energy Minister KJ George also cut in and justified the Gruha Jyoti Yojane saying that the State government was offering people power cost-free as long as their usage was under 200 units.

He pointed out that the regular usage of the consumer and an additional 10 per cent would be free as long as it is under 200 units.

George, Yatnal trade barbs

George was in turn interrupted by BJP MLA from Vijayapura and contender for the post of the Leader of the Opposition (LOP) Basangouda Patil Yatnal.

Things took a turn for the worse when George took a potshot at Yatnal for “desiring” the LOP’s post.

“The LOP seat is vacant, is it not? He (Yatnal) probably aims to snag that post. So he’s talking,” George said.

“I have no such desire,” Yatnal shot back.

CM Siddaramaiah has also taken digs at the BJP for not nominating the LOP and Yatnal for allegedly holding out hope that he bags the honour.

Oppn unhappy over conditions

The Opposition parties – BJP and JD(S) – held that the Congress promised 200 units of free power but added a number of “unfair” conditions later on that violated their original offer.

For instance, people who use more than 200 units would pay their bill in full, they said. The other point being argued by Congress was that it was BJP that hiked the electricity prices by Rs 2.89 per unit.

The process had been going on since March under then CM Bommai and they passed the final order on May 12, a day before the election results that announced a decisive Congress victory, the Grand Old Party argued.

They added that they can’t reverse the order because in 2021, the ‘timely recovery of costs due to change in law’ was amended, according to which, states and their distribution companies should pass on the procurement cost of electricity to the consumer