- 1 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:7105 WP No. 105011 of 2021 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD BENCH DATED THIS THE 29TH DAY OF APRIL, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM WRIT PETITION NO. 105011 OF 2021 (GM-KEB) BETWEEN: 1. SHRIMANT TATYA PATIL NEERU BALAKEDARAR SANGH (R) SAMBARAGI MATTU KALLUTTI GHATAK-06. A SOCIETY REGISTERED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF KARNATAKA SOCIETIES REGISTRATION ACT, 1960, TALUK: ATHANI, DIST: BELAGAVI-591232. REPRESENTED BY ITS CHAIRMAN SHRI. RAJENDRA VITTAL PATIL AGE: 50 YEARS, OCC: AGRICULTURE. 2. SHRIMANT TATYA PATIL NEERU BALAKEDARAR SANGH(R) SAMBARAGI MATTU KALLUTTI GHATAK-06. BY ITS SECRETARY SHRI. DEEPAK PRABHAKAR DESHPANDE AGE: 33 YEARS, OCC: SECRETARY AND AGRICULTURIST R/O. SAMBARAGI, TALUK ATHANI DIST. BELAGAVI-591232. ...PETITIONERS (BY SRI. SANJAY S.KATAGERI, ADVOCATE) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY VIKAS SOUDHA, DR. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI BENGALURU-560001, REPRESENTED BY ITS ADDITIONAL CHIEF SECRETARY. 2. KARNATAKA ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION HAVING ITS OFFCE AT NO. 16C-1 Digitally signed by CHAITHRA A Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:7105 WP No. 105011 of 2021 MILLER’S TANK BED ROAD VASANTH NAGAR, BENGALURU-560052. (REPRESENTED BY ITS MEMBER SECRETARY). 3. HUBLI ELECTRICITY SUPPLY COMPANY LIMITED (HESCOM), P.B.ROAD, NAVANAGAR HUBBALLI-580025, REPRESENTED BY THE MANAGING DIRECTOR. 4. THE ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE ENGINEER (ELE) O AND M SUB-DIVISION, HESCOM, ATHANI TALUKA: ATHANI, DIST: BELAGAVI-591304. ..RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. ASHOK T. KATTIMANI, AGA FOR R1; SRI. B.S. KAMATE, ADVOCATE FOR R2; SRI. SHIVARAJ P. MUDHOL, ADVOCATE FOR R3 AND R4) THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO ISSUE A WRIT IN THE NATURE OF MANDAMUS OR ANY OTHER WRIT, ORDER OR DIRECTION AND DECLARE THAT PERIOD FROM FEBRUARY 2019 TO JUNE 2019 AS THE FORCE MAJEURE EVENT DUE TO DROUGHT AND FROM AUGUST-2019 TILL OCTOBER 2019 AS FLOOD SITUATION AND CONSEQUENTLY, DIRECT THE RESPONDENTS NO.3 TO 5-HESCOM LIMITED TO WITHDRAW THE BILLS FOR THE SAID PERIOD AS LEVIED AGAINST THE PETITIONERS SOCIETY AND ETC. THIS WRIT PETITION COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING 'B' GROUP THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM - 3 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:7105 WP No. 105011 of 2021 ORAL ORDER In the captioned petition, registered societies are aggrieved by the denial of power subsidy. Therefore, the societies are before this Court alleging that this discrimination between the individual farmers and the societies based on purely collective consumption violates the guarantee equality provided under Article 14 of the Constitution of India. 2. This Court in the lead petition bearing W.P.No.103671/2021 has dealt with this issue substantially and has issued certain directives. Since identical issues are involved and similar reliefs are sought in the captioned petition, the writ petition is disposed of in terms of the directives issued in W.P.No.103671/2021. 3. Accordingly, this Court proceeds to pass the following: - 4 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:7105 WP No. 105011 of 2021 ORDER i) Writ petition is allowed in part. ii) Petitioners are hereby directed to pay the pending arrears to respondent No.3. iii) Consequently, it is declared that the impugned Government Order No. EN 55 PSR 2008 dated 4th September 2008 is unconstitutional, in so far as it denies the benefit of power tariff subsidy to farmer societies purely on the ground of collective consumption exceeding the specified horsepower limit. iv) Consequently, the State Government and the concerned distribution companies (including HESCOM) are directed to review, reconsider, and amend the existing policy framework governing agricultural power subsidies, ensuring that farmer societies are treated at par with individual farmers. - 5 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:7105 WP No. 105011 of 2021 v) It is further directed that the authorities must frame and notify appropriate guidelines within a reasonable period (preferably within six months) to extend power tariff subsidies to registered farmer societies, in a manner that aligns with the principles of equality, promotes cooperative farming, and advances the broader goals of sustainable agricultural development. vi) Respondent No.3 is hereby directed to consider the petitioners’ application seeking subsidy benefits in accordance with law once the arrears are paid. vii) The petitioners are reserved with liberty to submit detailed representations seeking the benefit of power tariff subsidy under the revised framework. - 6 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:7105 WP No. 105011 of 2021 viii) Prayers in regard to setting aside the demand notice and declaration of the specified period as Force Majeure are hereby rejected. SD/- (SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM) JUDGE MBS List No.: 1