Mangalore Electricity Supply Company (Mescom) Ltd has applied to the State electricity regulator to be allowed to hike power tariff by 62 paisa (₹0.62) per unit on electricity supplied to the consumer.

Participating in the public hearing organised by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on power tariff revision in Mangaluru on Thursday, Senhal R, Managing Director of Mescom, said that the power purchase and operation and maintenance costs have gone up during the current fiscal. These have led to the need for an increase in the power supply cost, she said, requesting the KERC to increase tariff by 62 paisa per unit.

Mescom meets the electricity requirements of 61.55 lakh people in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikmagaluru and Shivamogga districts of Karnataka.

The company sold 4,956.88 million units (mu) of electricity to its consumers in 2018-19 and is estimated to sell 5,155.71 mu for 2019-20 with 4,118 mu sold till the end of January. It expects to sell 5,596.19 mu during 2020-21.

Urging the need to reduce power tariff, BA Nazeer, who represented Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said small industries are facing difficult situation now. The Central government has taken various steps to help small industries to tide over the situation. Under circumstances, power supply companies should also come to the rescue of its consumers in small industries and reduce the power tariff, he said.

Rajendra Suvarna, who represented the ice plants and cold-storage units in coastal Karnataka, said power bill constitutes a major chunk of the production cost of ice plants and cold-storage units.

Stating that fisheries sector is the major consumer of ice in coastal Karnataka, he said even fishing sector is facing problems. This has affected the ice plants and cold-storage units in the region.

He suggested that the KERC reduce the power tariff for ice plants and cold-storage units located within a distance of 5-km from the sea shore.

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