Bengaluru hoteliers urge Karnataka govt to stop unscheduled load shedding

The Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association has written to Energy Minister KJ George and Bescom, urging immediate steps to prevent unscheduled load shedding as it is affecting their businesses.

"These days, we are seeing inconsistent power supply and a lot of load shedding without any prior notice. This is hurting our business because most processes in our hotels and establishments are mechanised and appliances like cold rooms and refrigerators require uninterrupted supply of electricity," said BBHA president PC Rao, who added that the festive season rush has made matters worse.

If load shedding is inevitable, it should be done at specific hours such as, for instance, between 12 noon and 2 pm. Ample prior notice should be issued to ensure their businesses are not affected, Rao added.

"I have notified all hotel owners to manage their electricity consumption, but we are also requesting the government to immediately purchase electricity from neighbouring states and plan for more solar projects to meet consumers’ electricity demands," he said.

The association has emailed the letter to Energy Minister KJ George and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and has plans to meet Bescom managing director Mahantesh Bilagi soon.