A Hoysala-era idol of Mahakali at the Doddagaddavalli Temple near Hassan district, Karnataka was found damaged on Friday. The temple, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) monument, was built in the 12th Century by Hoysala dynasty.
Reportedly, the incident came to light on Friday morning when local people visited the temple and found that one of the idols of the deity was damaged. It is suspected that miscreants in search of hidden treasure took advantage of the lack of security and vandalised the idol in the process.
Sad day today. Beautiful and the only Kali vigraha of hoysala times destroyed at Doddagaddavalli temple. Irreplaceable loss. The temple is ASI protected! Info by: Shashidhara HG pic.twitter.com/oq0PCeaOJD
Shivakant Bajpai, Superintending Archaeologist of Bengaluru Circle, told The Hindu, “I have spoken to Hassan SP R. Srinivasa Gowda about the incident and we will definitely take action against those who did it.” The ASI is being held responsible for the damage incurred by the idol.
Dr Shalvapille Iyengar, an ancient history and archaeology expert, speaking to Hassan News said, “The Bhadrakali or Dakshina Kali image of Doddagaddhavalli Chatushkuta temple is destroyed by miscreants. It is a great loss to our heritage. This temple was built in C.E. 1113 during the rule of Hoysala Vishnuvardhana. It is a unique temple of Mahalakshmi and Bhadrakali image is placed in the south sanctum.”
“Government should punish the miscreants in severe punishments. Now the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is celebrating the heritage week but at the same time heritage is damaged. This is a great loss to our heritage and History. ASI should answer for this great loss and they should be responsible for irreparable damage,” he added.
C.T. Ravi, BJP national general secretary, said, “Deeply disturbed and distraught to watch this desecration in Mahalakshmi Temple at Doddagaddavalli. I clearly remember my visit here.” He urged the Karnataka Home Minister to constitute a special team to investigate the matter and bring the guilty to justice.
Deeply disturbed and distraught to watch this desecration in Mahalakshmi Temple at Doddagaddavalli. I clearly remember my visit here.
Request Home Minister Sri @BSBommai to constitute a special Team to uncover the truth behind this act.
The Lakshmi Devi temple, an architectural wonder,is located in Doddagaddavalli, a village in Hassan District of Karnataka. The Lakshmi Devi Temple, built in a chatuskuta style (four shrines), is one of the earliest known temples built in the Hoysala style. The temple was built by Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana in 1113 CE.
Union Minister for IT and Communications Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said that the Modi government was able to convince nine of the eleven component-makers of Apple Inc to move away from China to set up their plants in India.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the 23rd edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit held virtually, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that even during the COVID-19 pandemic period, the government was able to bring nine of their operating units along with component makers from China to India. “During Covid-19, about 9 of 11 component-makers of Apple have shifted their units from China to India. These huge changes, especially with the Digital India mission, has led to global inclusion with several home-grown elements,” the minister said.
The Union Minister, while addressing the summit, also pointed out to Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa that Apple has chosen Bengaluru for manufacturing iPhones.
“I am pleased to inform BS Yediyurappa that Apple has chosen your city Bengaluru to manufacture their quality phones for India and abroad,” Ravi Shankar Prasad added.
Apple’s supplier Wistron has a manufacturing facility in Kolar near Bengaluru where it has been assembling Apple devices. Wistron may expand its operations at the Bengaluru plant under the Union Government’s production-linked incentive scheme (PLI) and is expected to begin assembling iPhone 12.
In July, Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn, one of the major component suppliers to Apple Inc had announced to invest up to $1 billion at the Sriperumbudur plant in Tamil Nadu.
Last month the ministry had approved proposals by Samsung, Foxconn, Rising Star, Wistron and Pegatron were filing applications under the government’s PLI scheme. Apart from these foreign companies, proposals of Indian companies like Lava, Bhagwati (Micromax), Padget Electronics, UTL Neolyncs and Optiemus Electronics were also approved. The scheme will lead to a total production of more than Rs 10.5 lakh crores over the next five years, in which the share of mobile phones will be Rs 9 lakh crores. It is expected that over 60% of this production will be exported. PLI scheme, one of the flagship initiatives of the Modi government aims to increase foreign investment in the country by offering companies incentives on incremental sales from products manufactured in domestic units.
Global mobile manufacturers to invest Rs 10 lakh crore in India
Highlighting the country’s tech-prowess, the Union Minister said that the Modi government was successful in bringing Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which has attracted major global and Indian mobile phone manufacturers. These companies have now invested close to Rs 11,000-lakh crore in India and have committed to manufacture phones worth ₹10.50-lakh crore, Minister Prasad said.
The Union Minister also pointed out that global manufacturing world was looking towards alternative destinations and are ready to invest in the country. Prasad said even during the pandemic the communications sector witnessed a growth of over seven per cent and also received significant investments from major global companies.
Prasad said that out of the nearly Rs 11 lakh crore proposed investment by major global companies in the next five years to manufacture mobiles and components, Rs seven lakh crore worth of products will be only for exports.
Bengaluru Tech Summit is organised annually by the Karnataka government along with Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society, and Software Technology Parks of India.
In the latest development in the Baghpat Grooming Jihad case, the Baghpat police have arrested the accused Akram who was absconding. His wife Rukhsar was arrested by the police yesterday. The police are on a lookout for Akram’s brother Tanveer.
जनपद बागपत के थाना बडौत क्षेत्रांतर्गत महिला के साथ हुई घटना के संबंध में पुलिस अधीक्षक बागपत द्वारा दी गई बाइट। pic.twitter.com/szCMkZzEMb
In the present case of alleged Grooming Jihad, a nurse had filed a complaint against the accused Akram for sexually exploiting and impregnating her and then forcing her to convert to Islam. The victim and the accused worked in the same nursing home. The accused allegedly lied to the victim that he had divorced his wife and lured her into the relationship. He hid the fact that he was Muslim, was married and had two sons. According to the victim, he physically exploited by blackmailing her with an intimate video of the victim which he had recorded. He would use the video to blackmail and rape her. He allegedly forced the victim to convert to Islam when she asked him to marry her.
The victim alleged that the accused forced him to abort the child which she refused to do. The accused along with his wife and bother held the victim captive and physically assaulted her. During captivity, the wife of the accused kicked the victim in her belly in order to induce abortion. She somehow managed to escape from their captivity by pleading before them and promising that she would abort the child.
Taking cognisance of the matter, the Chairperson of National Women Commission (NCW) Rekha Sharma, had tweeted yesterday that she would talk to Baghpat police regarding the same.
In view of the rising cases of love jihad, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath had warned the miscreants indulging in the forceful conversion of non-Muslim women, and targeting of non-Muslim women under false identities that have been noted in several cases. The Uttar Pradesh government is planning to enact a law to deal with such cases and the proposal for the same was forwarded by the Home Department of the state to Law Department.
The Enforcement Directorate has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the equivalent of FIRs filed by the Police, in the TRP case. The ED will investigate money laundering allegations and all channels mentioned in the original FIR will be probed, Republic TV has reported.
A parallel CBI investigation is also underway. As per Republic TV, the Mumbai Police probe could also be under scrutiny. Republic TV has also cited sources to claim that the ED will merge all TRP related cases under the ED in Mumbai. The ED is the second central agency to come into the matter after the CBI. The CBI had earlier registered an FIR over the matter.
#BREAKING | ED merges all existing TRP related cases, all witnesses and material will be investigated: Sources
On 8th October, Param Bir Singh, Mumbai Police Commissioner, said in a press conference that several channels have indulged in malicious practices to increase their TRP ratings. He alleged that Republic TV is one of the main accused. The complaint was filed by the Hansa group that regulated the devices to record TRP for BARC.
However, the initial FIR did not name Republic TV but named India Today network as one of the main suspects. During the investigation, several evidence and witnesses came forward that alleged Mumbai Police have been intimidating them to speak against Republic TV, including Hansa officials. Hansa has also complained that they are being harassed by the Mumbai Police to give statements against Republic TV.
In the latest development in the grooming jihad case of Delhi where a Hindu man had accused a Muslim woman of forcefully converting him to Islam and get him circumcised, an investigation has been initiated by Delhi police. According to Jagran, a team of three cops including a woman cop has been formed to interrogate the accused. The team is expected to be sent to Gonda, Uttar Pradesh after Chhath Puja. The Police also got the medical examination of the victim conducted to confirm the allegation of circumcision. The report of medical examination is yet to be received by the police.
Background of the case
A Hindu man from Delhi had accused a Muslim woman from Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, whom he had married, of hiding her Muslim identity and later forcefully converting him to Islam after revealing her true identity. The man had met the woman on Facebook. The woman reportedly used to play victim during their conversation on Facebook and had told him that she was Hindu and her parents assaulted and mistreated her. Finally, they got married but the woman went back to her father’s house soon after their marriage.
The man had alleged that when he went to Gonda along with his mother to bring his wife back, a policeman threatened him and demanded an amount of Rs 80,000 from him. He further alleged that the woman’s relatives kept him and his mother locked in the room of a hotel and forcefully converted him to Islam by threatening to kill his mother. His Nikaah was also performed after he was converted. The man had accused the woman’s relatives of forcefully getting his circumcision done.
He had filed a complaint at Prem Nagar police station against the woman named Nazreen Ansari and her relatives including her father Fareed Ahmed Ansari, her mother Shaheen Bano and her cousin Ahmed under various provisions of law.
Unhinged and abusive ‘comedian’ Kunal Kamra, who is supposed to be a comedian, has been deliberate tweeting contemptuous tweets against the Supreme Court and CJI Arvind Bobde. Many believe that this is simply a ploy by Kunal Kamra to play the victim as he knows his tweets would eventually invite contempt proceedings by the court. His wish seems to be coming true now, as after granting permission to initiate contempt proceedings against him for some other tweets, now, a new proceeding has been initiated against him for a tweet where he wanted to show the middle finger to the Chief Justice of India.
On the 18th of November, Kunal Kamra took to Twitter to yet again prove that Twitter could be the perfect platform for out-of-work woke comedians to get some sort of visibility after the world largely dismissed them as un-funny, raving lunatics.
One of these 2 fingers is for CJI Arvind Bobde… ok let me not confuse you it’s the middle one ??? pic.twitter.com/IhoYIP3Ebe
In his tweet, Kunal Kamra had held up two fingers and said, “One of these 2 fingers is for CJI Arvind Bobde… ok let me not confuse you it’s the middle one”, essentially saying that he was holding a middle finger for CJI Bobde.
Now, AG KK Venugopal has given his consent to initiate contempt proceedings against Kamra for this latest tweet of his.
Consent by AG KK Venugopal (Source: LiveLaw)
The consent has been given based on a complaint by one advocate Anuj Singh. In his consent, AG KK Venugopal said that the tweet by Kunal Kamra was a deliberate attempt to insult the CJI which would equally be an insult to the judiciary that the CJI heads. Calling the tweet ‘vulgar and obnoxious’, AG said that he was granting consent under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1975 against Kunal Kamra.
Earlier contempt proceedings against Kunal Kamra for other tweets against Supreme Court
Earlier, Attorney General KK Venugopal granted his consent to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Kunal Kamra. A Mumbai based lawyer had sought the Attorney General’s permission to initiate contempt proceedings against Kunal Kamra for his tweets against the Supreme Court, after apex court had granted bail to Arnab Goswami.
AG KK Venugopal, granting his consent to initiate proceedings against Kamra said the tweets by Kamra, where he referred to the Supreme Court of India as Supreme Joke India, and said that humour has left the SC long ago, “were highly objectionable.”
In his consent letter, KK Venugopal stated that the other tweets also are highly objectionable and it would perhaps be for the court to decide the question as to whether these tweets also would constitute criminal contempt of the Supreme Court of India.
The AG also referred to one image posted by Kamra where the Supreme Court was shown in saffron colour, and the Indian flag was replaced by the flag of BJP, insinuating that Supreme Court is working under BJP.
Kunal Kamra: One step closer to being a ‘liberal’ hero
A day after Attorney General KK Venugopal granted his consent to initiate contempt of court proceedings against far-left troll Kunal Kamra, the self-proclaimed comedian Kunal Kamra had brazened it out saying that he will not retract or apologize for his abusive tweets that maligned country’s judiciary. Kunal Kamra then proceeded to play the martyr by saying that he would neither apologise nor pay fine if he is convicted in the contempt case that is yet to be filed against him.
Positioning himself to be some sort of a ‘victim’, Kamra tweeted, “No lawyers, No apology, No fine, No waste of space”. Amusingly, Kamra’s theatrics comes even before the initiation of contempt proceedings against him. Only the consent of the Attorney General has been granted, and the actual proceedings are yet to start in the court.
With this latest contempt proceeding against Kamra’s latest rant against the CJI, he seems to be inching one step closer to realising his dream of being a ‘liberal’ hero, who deliberately break the law and then position themselves as crusaders against a tyrannical system. Perhaps, his inspiration is Prashant Bhushan, who had done exactly the same and after being compared to Gandhi, had apologised and paid a Re. 1 fine to the court for his contemptuous tweets.
In a new development, the Union government has sent eviction notices to over 20 artists, who have been overstaying in government allotted buildings in various parts of Delhi for decades.
While speaking about the government decision, Union Culture Minister Prahlad Patel informed that the artists have been provided with a time window until December 31 to vacate their government accommodation. He added that they will have to pay their outstanding dues (about ₹32.09 crores) if they fail to comply with the government’s decision. “But if they vacate within the deadline, all their dues will be waived off,” Patel emphasised.
“The policy already exists and it’s clear that no one can stay on above the age of 60, or for more than two terms of three years each. Their income should not be more than Rs 20,000 a month. But people have been living (in these government houses) for 12 to 35 years,” the Culture Minister stated. He added, “(Any new) policy on who should be accommodated will be framed later after they have vacated (the houses). Where are new artists who really need homes to go? If an MLA or MP sticks to one place, then what happens to others? The rules are the same for all.”
As per reports, government accommodations (3BHK, 4BHK) are provided by the Culture Ministry in Lutyens’ and South Delhi at a nominal rent to eminent award-winning Indian artists, aged between 40-60, for a 3-year period. The allotments had started in the 70s and were being continually extended every 3 years. It can be extended to a maximum of two terms, totalling 6 years. The government quota is for a maximum of 40 residential units, out of which 23 have been vacated.
Pandit Birju Maharaj, dhrupad artist Ut Wasifuddin Dagar, Mohiniyattam dancer Bharati Shivaji, Kathak artist Geetanjali Lal, Kuchipudi dancer Guru Jayarama Rao and painter Jatin Das are among the artists who have been served with eviction notices.
Change in government policy in 2014
An official from the Culture Ministry stated that the Union government had decided to remove quotas in government accommodation in 2014 itself. The official further stated that the outstanding dues, caused due to damage to property, have been running into crores for some artists. He added that under the new policy, only central government employees will be provided accommodation once the squatters vacate the property.
The culture ministry has stated that since 2014, the artists have been served with repeated notices.
“Any further extension of the deadline can only be decided at the level of the Cabinet Committee on Accommodation,” he emphasised. The Culture Ministry has reiterated that the families of several artists have continued to overstay, even after their death. It also pointed out how some have been using the residential units illegally for generating business such as running music schools.
Squatters cry foul over government’s ‘inhumane’ attitude
Dhrupad vocalist Wasifuddin Dagar, who have been illegally using his residence to teach dhrupad, has claimed that artists do not retire, unlike ministers. He claimed, “They keep working and that happens out of their homes. I teach dhrupad out of this home. These are only 20 houses, extremely simple, small homes and that is also bothering them? We hope that somebody will come forward to help us.”
In his defence, Dagar claimed, “In the pandemic, when the PM is requesting the entire country not to disturb the tenants in this difficult time, this is what they do to their own artistes?” It is pertinent to remember that unlike regular tenants, the Dhrupad vocalist is paying a nominal fee as rent and has occupied the residence, despite the expiry of the extension period.
Kathak expert Pt Birju Maharaj said, “During this pandemic, at the time of Covid, I received a notice to vacate the home. I have been staying in the house for some time now and it’s a huge help from the government. I have been serving classical dance and have been spreading the art form nationally and internationally. I am 83 years and I am quite sad and shocked that a notice like this has come at this time. It’s my appeal to PM Modi to think about this and the artists and find a solution to this.” He has also threatened to return his award if forced to vacate the residence. It is important to remember that the age cutoff for staying at the government allotted accommodation in 60 and Pt Birju Maharaj is 83 years now.
Banaras Gharana vocalist Rajan Mishra, claimed, “When a government does not care about culture in a country, they do things like these. All those who’ve got notices are cultural ambassadors whose contribution in the field of arts is huge. All those MPs and netas who get those bungalows, no one tells them to leave. This is extreme short-sightedness on the part of the government. You need to value these artists, not evict them like this.” However, the fact remains that the Courts, as well as the government, had directed former MPs, MLAs and retired employees to vacate government accommodations after their tenure.
Centre had initiated proceedings against illegal occupants in 2015
It must be remembered that the Centre had initiated proceedings against squatters in 2015 itself. As per reports, the Cabinet Committee on Accommodation (CCA) had directed the Union urban development (UD) ministry to evict the illegal occupants. The report noted, “Pandit Birju Maharaj has been living in his Shahjahan Road house for 36 years, Jatin Das has been living in his Asian Games village flat for 26 years and Kuchipudi dancer Raja Reddy has been living in his Kaka Nagar flat for 21 years.”
While talking about the government’s decision in 2015, a government source had stated, “We are issuing eviction notices in three cases. The house was allotted to the artiste and not his family member. The family members will be told to vacate immediately…However, all the 27 artistes who were allotted flats in areas like Shahjahan Road, Asian Games Village and Lodhi Colony have overstayed in violation of norms long after their allotment tenure was over.”
Former ministers, MPs and political leaders have been evicted too
Squatting in government bungalows and treating them like personal property is nothing new for ‘elites’ in India. the Union urban development (UD) ministry has been fighting a long battle to get former MPs, political leaders and ’eminent intellectuals’ to leave the government-owned buildings and pay the outstanding dues.
Earlier this year, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also asked to vacate the Lodhi Estate bungalow where she has been staying with her family for decades.
The power outage that occurred across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai last month are a result of a sophisticated sabotage attempt to target country’s power utilities, reports Mumbai Mirror quoting govt sources.
According to the reports, a month-long probe by the cyber cell officials has detected the presence of multiple “suspicious logins” into servers connected with power supply and transmission utilities. The investigation carried out by Maharashtra Police’s cyber cell has revealed that the power outage might be a result of a sophisticated sabotage attempt involving foreign entities.
Several accounts that tried to ‘log in’ to servers were traced were from Singapore and a few other South Asian countries. These hackers have been trying to target the country’s power utilities since February.
Infusion of malware into state load dispatch centre, says initial probe
The Maharashtra cyber department said that in their initial investigation they have traced the infusion of malware at the Padgha-based state load dispatch centre. The state load dispatch controls power transmission and manages load dispatch to various areas across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) covering the Mumbai City, Thane district and Navi Mumbai.
The load dispatch center works on an automated system where data is monitored and could have been attacked.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Police is coordinating with national agencies to find out whether these “intrusions, interferences” were part of a planned attack aimed at hurting India’s financial capital.
The Maharashtra energy minister Nitin Raut is expected to provide details of the investigation in coming days.
Similar to attacks on power distribution networks, in June, a swarm of 40,000-plus hacking attacks by non-state actors allegedly from China was detected, who had used a type of malware to access and then encrypt sensitive data of targeted private and public entities.
Mumbai Power outage
On October 12, Mumbai and suburban areas witnessed power outage because of a grid failure bringing the city, including its local trains, to a complete halt. The authorities took two hours to restore the power supply to resume essential services.
TATA Power, the power supplier for Mumbai, had informed that there was simultaneous substation tripping in MSETCL’s Kalwa, Kharghar causing a huge dip in frequency in Mumbai transmission system which led to tripping of power supply.
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) procures electricity from Tata Power from transformer in Kawla and Pardha. This is the major transformer that is the main supply line that provides 350 MW electricity to Mumbai. Tata also provides electricity to Adani power which then distributes outside city limits, while BEST provides power inside the city.
The Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Friday moved out of Delhi to stay in Panaji, Goa along with her son Rahul Gandhi after doctors advised her to shift out of the national capital for a few days to avoid the heavy pollution.
Sonia Gandhi, who is reportedly suffering from a chronic chest infection, was advised by her doctors to move to a warmer place until the air pollution in Delhi is back to normal levels. According to a Congress functionary privy to the developments, two places – the outskirts of Chennai and Goa was identified for this purpose.
The air pollution in Delhi has aggravated her asthma and her chest condition and was advised by doctors to briefly shift out from Delhi.
Goa: Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and her son and party leader Rahul Gandhi arrive in Panaji.
Doctors had earlier advised Sonia Gandhi to spend time in a less polluted place: Sources pic.twitter.com/zxThQR20mH
Interestingly, to stay away from pollution in Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi, Sonia Gandhi has now decided to spend her vacations in a BJP-ruled state rather than Congress-ruled state or even the constituency ruled by her son, Wayanad.
Interestingly, only a few days ago, Congress had targeted BJP for rising pollution.
Our forest cover is decreasing, our pollution levels are increasing, trees are being felled to fill the pockets of BJP's friends & all the while Indians are choking. pic.twitter.com/9K4KTsyfqC
Earlier in June, Sonia Gandhi was admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi over health issues. Later on September 12, she had gone to US for a few days for her routine medical check-up and Rahul Gandhi had accompanied her during the visit.s
The Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi was accompanied by son Rahul Gandhi on her trip to Goa. The Congress President had last made a brief appearance at the Indira Gandhi Memorial to pay homage to the former Prime Minister on her 103rd birth anniversary.
Sonia Gandhi leaves for Goa as air quality index of Delhi continues to deteriorate
Delhi’s air quality continues to remain poor as the city’s pollution due to stubble burning in the surrounding region had increased by over 20 per cent. The government agencies had warned that the air quality may dip to the “very poor” category on Friday.
Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index(AQI) was recorded at 283. The deteriorating air quality also seems to have played a part in aggravating the city’s COVID-19 outbreak, a disease involving grave respiratory complications.
Delhi is witnessing an inexorable surge in the coronavirus cases since the end of last month when, October 28, the daily number of fresh cases crossed the mark 5,000-mark and breached the 8,000-mark for the first time
Enraged by the Maha Vikas Aghadi government’s u-turn over the waiving off of the outsize electricity bills generated in the months following the nationwide lockdown induced by the coronavirus crisis, the BJP on Friday staged a massive demonstration in Mumbai’s Bandra. The protest against the Thackeray government came on the heels of the Maharashtra power minister Nitin Raut’s statement this Tuesday, stating that there will be no waiver as promised before and the consumers will have to foot the electricity bills on their own.
Protest by @bjp4mumbai against unjustified hike in electricity prices.
When other govt cam provide relief to consumers, SIN govt of Maharashtra not only increases the prices but also goes back on its word to provide relief. pic.twitter.com/N5xo1qpYKn
In the protests, the BJP has accused the state government of being indifferent to the miseries of the residents of the state amidst the resurgent pandemic and highlighted how the BJP ruled state governments in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat granted almost 50 per cent relief in the electricity bills of the consumers in their states.
“This government is known for lying through its teeth. At the start of the pandemic, they boasted of waiving off school fees. However, they welshed on their promise. They later announced that college fees will be reduced by 50 per cent. But they reneged on that promise as well. Subsequently, they said they will waive off electricity bills but failed on this front as well. When we ask them to grant us relief, they claim they are bankrupt,” a BJP leader said while accusing the Maharashtra government of indulging in unneeded expenses such as the purchase of premium cars during the pandemic.
Maharashtra power minister goes back on his promise of waiving off excess electricity bills
Earlier this week, Maharashtra Power Minister Nitin Raut dashed the hopes of thousands of state residents by claiming that the state government will not waive off the electricity bills and that the consumers will have to bear the costs themselves.
“The electricity department is facing a loss of Rs 69,000 crore. We had demanded financial assistance from the Union government. However, they declined the help. If the electricity bills are accurate the consumers will have to pay them,” Raut said.
This declaration by Raut came in stark contrast with his earlier announcement when he had claimed that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government would waive off the excessive bills after Diwali. Interestingly, Raut was also mulling over providing 100 units of electricity at no cost to the domestic consumers before the lockdown came into force in March. Besides Raut, the State finance minister Ajit Pawar had also asserted that the government will address the concerns regarding the excessive electricity bills.
Consumers register their protest against excessive electricity bills
Earlier this year, after the first few months of coronavirus lockdown, social media websites were awash with a torrent of complaints from consumers, including celebrities, about inflated power bills for the first few months of the lockdown. Complaints alleged that power distribution companies were dishing out outrageous bills that did not jibe with the actual electricity usage. Several of the Bollywood celebrities such as Asha Bhosale, Taapsee Pannu, Dino Morea, Pulkit Samrat and many others had expressed their shock over the excessive electricity bills that they had received.
The power distribution companies such as Adani Electricity had then issued multiple press releases to explain why the electricity bills were so high. A spokesperson for Adani Electricity had reasoned that the high consumption in lockdown was because people had worked from home during the summer months.
A spokesperson for Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) had then said, “In case of any fault in meter readings and calculations from our side, we will rectify the electricity bill and the amount will get adjusted in the next month’s bill.”
Other states had adopted different methods to derive the electricity bills during lockdown months. While some of the states had waived off the bills during the lockdown period, others who had taken the average consumption of the users to arrive at the charges had faced similar complaints of inflated electricity bills from consumers.
In fact, Shiv Sainiks themselves were outraged with the outsize electricity bills and had threatened to stage a protest against the Uddhav Thackeray government by donning briefs and vests and visiting the electricity office in Vasai.
