Hubballi: Hubli Electricity Supply Company meter reader faces violent attack

Hubballi : In an unfortunate incident highlighting the tensions stemming from the eligibility criteria of the ‘Gruha Jyothi Scheme', a meter reader employed by the Hubli Electricity Supply Company (HESCOM) found himself at the receiving end of a violent assault by a consumer. The incident has garnered attention due to the growing frustration over entitlements under the said scheme.

Mallayya Ganachari, the meter reader involved, outlined the sequence of events in his police complaint. Upon presenting an electricity bill amounting to Rs. 4,129 to the consumer named Abdul Kaligar, Ganachari was met with a hostile response.

Kaligar’s consumption had exceeded the threshold of 200 units, necessitating the settlement of the outstanding bill. It is pertinent to note that the ‘Gruha Jyothi’ scheme, a creation of the Congress government, extends free electricity exclusively to those consuming less than 200 units.

The encounter took a distressing turn as a heated exchange ensued between the two parties. The consumer, irked by his disqualification from the scheme due to surpassing the stipulated consumption limit, challenged Ganachari’s explanation. The Gruha Jyothi initiative expressly restricts beneficiaries to those whose power consumption remains below the 200-unit mark, a criterion that Kaligar failed to meet due to the accrued pending dues and elevated energy usage. The confrontation escalated when the accused resorted to physical aggression, wielding a brick to inflict injury upon the meter reader.