Latest news with #KJGeorge
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Karnataka smart meter case: Court orders registration of complaint against minister George, officials
Bengaluru: The simmering controversy over the tendering process of smart meters in Karnataka took an interesting turn with the special court for elected representatives on Wednesday directing enforcement agencies to register a private complaint report (PCR) against energy minister KJ George and others. Based on a complaint filed by BJP functionaries CN Ashwath Narayan, SR Vishwanath, and Dheeraj Muniraj, special court judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat directed officials to submit a status report on the complaint filed with the Lokayukta in April 2025 pertaining to the same issue, besides registering a PCR. The complaint also named additional chief secretary (energy) Gaurav Gupta, previous Bescom MD Mahantesh Bilagi, and Bescom technical director SG Ramesh as accused in the case. The complainants alleged that all the accused did not comply with the tender rules while rolling out the smart meter tender. "A tender was floated in Sept 2024 to provide smart meter services, and it was allotted to one of the bidders, a Davanagere-based shell company. Rather than floating separate tenders for each of the Escoms (electricity supply companies), tenders were floated only for Bescom. The entire process not only violated provisions under the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act, but also went against the guidelines laid down by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission," the complaint read. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Pieces of Clothing Older Women should Avoid Learn More Undo by Taboola by Taboola You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Seeking the special court's intervention, the complainants sought registration of an FIR under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhit and the Prevention of Corruption Act. BJP legislators have been hitting out at the state govt and accusing George, who also holds the position of Bescom chairman, of misappropriation in the smart meter tender ever since the issue snowballed into a major controversy during the budget session of legislature. Nothing illegal: George Reacting sharply to the development, the minister retorted: "Is there a court order? If so, give a copy to me and I will react to that." Hitting out at the BJP, he added: "There is a group comprising Ashwath Narayan and others. They have already filed a petition in the high court and have also complained to the governor. Now, a case has also been filed in the people's representatives court. There is nothing illegal and the tender process has been done according to the law. I'm ready to explain everything if needed. Rather than indulging in hit-and-run methods, let them produce documents to the court and our advocates will also argue. Eventually, I will bow to whatever the court orders." BJP demands George's ouster BJP legislator CN Ashwath Narayan on Thursday demanded the dismissal of energy minister KJ George. "There is no malice — this is in public interest," he said, alleging that contracts were given to blacklisted firms, regulations were flouted, and inflated rates were imposed. Narayan questioned whether George would resign, before urging chief minister Siddaramaiah to act immediately to uphold justice and govt accountability
Hans India
18-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Smart meter scam allegations: Minister faces legal heat
Bengaluru: Energy Minister KJ George is facing fresh trouble over the alleged irregularities in the procurement of smart electricity meters. BJP legislators Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayan, S.R. Vishwanath, and Dheeraj Muniraju have filed a private complaint in the Special Court for People's Representatives, escalating their earlier complaint filed with the Lokayukta. The BJP has accused the Energy Department of serious corruption, alleging that a massive contract worth ₹10,000 crore was unfairly awarded to Davanagere-based Rajashree Electricals, sidelining other eligible companies. The complaint claims that companies were deliberately prevented from participating in the tender, with smart meters being procured at highly inflated prices—reportedly sold to consumers at ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 while they are available at ₹900 in other states. Senior advocate Lakshmi Iyengar, representing the complainants, argued that this was a major scam. She stated that a global tender should have been floated for such a large-scale project under the RDSS scheme, but instead, Rajashree Electricals, which handled just ₹354 crore worth of business, was awarded a ₹5,296 crore, 10-year contract. The tender was projected as a ₹997 crore deal to downplay its scale, she added. Though the tender was meant only for BESCOM, the same smart meters were reportedly extended to other ESCOMs without proper authorization—raising concerns of procedural violations. The BJP leaders have also approached the Governor, requesting permission for investigation, and accused the Lokayukta police of failing to act despite their initial complaint. The special court, presided over by Judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat, has taken up the matter and is expected to decide today on whether to admit the private complaint for investigation.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Siddaramaiah's microgrid plan shelved over costs, technical flaws
Bengaluru: The energy department has decided to quietly shelve one of chief minister Siddaramaiah's flagship budget proposals — the ambitious 'microgrid' solar scheme — due to high costs and technical roadblocks. In a move that has raised eyebrows in govt circles, the scheme, which was aimed at making remote villages self-sufficient in power through solar and battery storage, has been scrapped barely 15 months after it was announced. Originally conceived as a pilot project across five villages — one each in Chikkamagaluru, Tumakuru, Kodagu, Uttara Kannada, and Kalaburagi — the plan was to install 500Mw solar units with battery storage in each location. Energy minister KJ George, who is also minister in charge of Chikkamagaluru, had backed the project in its initial stages. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru But a govt gazette notification issued recently, states: "A 500Mw solar unit with battery installation for preserving energy were to be installed in the five identified villages. At a cost of Rs 7.9 per unit, the scheme would have cost the exchequer Rs 39.7 crore. But considering that the scheme scale was small and the cost of procuring power was high, the project cost was estimated to be high. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tại sao CFD tiền mã hóa có thể phù hợp với danh mục đầu tư của bạn IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo With power purchase at the current rate being expensive, it would have been a hefty financial burden on Escoms and would not serve the purpose it was meant for. " The order also pointed to a key technical flaw in battery system design, making it impractical with current safety protocols. "The battery system was technically unviable as the inverter for battery storage could not be kept 'switched on' when current was not being supplied by Escoms on account of 'safety directives'. As a result, the intent to make these villages energy self-sufficient cannot be realised," the order said. Still, the govt says it remains committed to the goal of decentralised, clean energy. The order states that Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (Kredl) is continuing to invest in advanced battery storage systems at Pavagada and Kalaburagi. "The energy department has not given up on the scheme's basic intent of making villages self-sufficient," the order states.
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Karnataka high court grants unrestricted access to property in forest to power minister's son
Bengaluru: The Karnataka high court granted Rana George, power minister KJ George's son, unrestricted access to his property adjacent to Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary. The petitioner owns properties in Shambhugowdanahalli and Lakkasoge villages, Saraguru hobli, HD Kore taluk. He contended that since his property only borders the sanctuary and isn't within it, he should have complete access. He challenged the time-restricted access (6am to 6pm), stating it violated Section 27(1)(c) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and Article 19(1)(c) of the Constitution. The only reliable access to the property is via the forest road, as the alternative route becomes unusable during monsoons or when Nugu reservoir water level exceeds 100 feet. George assured the court that the property serves only personal purposes and measures were taken to protect the sanctuary's ecological balance. On the other hand, the govt advocate submitted that having purchased a property in the forest area, the petitioner will have to abide by the rules under the statute, which clearly prohibits entry into any place of the forest. He further contended that in identical cases, Supreme Court clearly held that the forest roads cannot be permitted to be used by private persons. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Glicemia acima de 130? Insira essa fruta no seu café da manhã G!Saú Undo You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru After perusing materials on record, Justice M Nagaprasanna noted that the state's objections regarding land grants were irrelevant, as the case concerned road usage rights rather than property ownership. The judge also emphasised that Wildlife Protection Act doesn't support denying entry to immovable property within forest areas. The court held that since the state already granted access under Section 27(1)(c), imposing time restrictions was legally untenable. The March 1, 2024 order's time restrictions, issued by principal chief conservator of forests, Karnataka, were quashed, whilst maintaining that the petitioner must not harm the sanctuary's flora and fauna. The ruling further clarified that when access is granted, it must be complete and unrestricted.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Jumbos get safe passage as Bescom secures power lines in forests around Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Sagging power transmission lines and live wires drawn from transformers to energise irrigation pump (IP) sets in agricultural fields abutting forest areas around Bengaluru and adjoining districts once posed a considerable threat to elephants and other wildlife. However, with the intervention of the high court, these forest areas have now become a safe habitat and passage for jumbos and other animals. Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) has converted 1,342km of overhead bare conductors into either covered conductors or aerial bunched cables at cost of Rs 150 crore. Securing these transmission lines in forest areas with covered conductors has come as a welcome relief for the forest department's conservation efforts, reflected in the considerable drop in the number of elephant electrocution deaths in these forests. Sources in the forest department said forests around Bengaluru and its adjoining districts, such as Kolar, Ramanagar, and Tumakuru, have a population of over 400 wild elephants. Taking cognisance of elephant electrocution during the hearing of PIL, the high court directed the forest department to coordinate with Bescom and ensure safe passage and habitat for elephants and other wildlife. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru "The forest departments identified the potential threat areas along with designated elephant corridors and forest areas that have Bescom power supply cables or low tension (LT) electrical towers. Based on their recommendations, we prioritised the areas based on the density of elephants and undertook work in a phased manner over the last four years. Now, we have completed work in almost all identified elephant corridors, and currently, work at Kengeri division on the outskirts of Bengaluru is under way," said N Shivashankar, MD, Bescom. Senior engineers at Bescom revealed jumbo corridors were identified in Chandapura, Kanakapura, KGF, and Kengeri divisions of Bescom. "In KGF, we have the Kamasamudra wildlife area, while Bannerughatta National Park is spread over Chandapura and Kanakapura division along with Muthathi in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and other wildlife areas in Tumakuru. Wherever possible, we covered the bare conductors with insulators, and in other places, they have been bunched and secured so that even if animals come in contact with them, they will not suffer electric shock," the engineer said. KJ George, energy minister, pointed out that most of these conductors included transmission lines to farmers' IP sets, low-level electric poles, transformers, and 11 kV transmission lines. "We took this work as a high priority, and work was taken up on a war footing to ensure these areas become safe for elephants. Due to this, wildlife casualties have come down considerably in Bescom limits," the minister said. Wildlife casualties due to electrocution in Bescom limits Year Elephant Sloth Bear Leopard 2020-21 4 ---- ----- 2022-23 1 1 1 2023-24 1 --- 1
