Bengaluru, April 1 -- While offering guarantees on one hand, the Congress Government in Karnataka has imposed steep hikes in inspection and renewal fees for lifts, transformers, and generators, significantly increasing the financial burden on citizens.

The Energy Department's latest order triples previous rates, with fees that ranged from Rs. 800 to Rs. 1,000 now soaring to Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 8,000.

For homes, offices, and factories with a 25 kVA transformer, inspection fees have jumped from Rs. 1,300-Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 3,000-Rs. 5,000.

Small generators (5-10 kVA) that earlier had a renewal fee of Rs. 2,000 will now cost Rs. 5,000-Rs. 8,000.

Farmers using an IP Set-25 kVA transformer will bear the heaviest impact, with fees rising from Rs...