Karnataka can expect uninterrupted power supply during coming summer: Minister

Energy Minister KJ George has promised that Karnataka will not face any load loss next summer. He added that the State Government is fully committed to providing seven hours of uninterrupted three-phase power to farmers.

The Minister inaugurated the newly constructed 110/11 kV power sub-station at Bailuvaddigere village in Hosapete taluk of Vijayanagara district, constructed by the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) at a cost of ₹ 9.28 crore.

The Minister also conducted the groundbreaking ceremonies of the substations to be established in Hosapete town (110/11 kV), Nagenahalli (110/11 kV) and Narasimhagiri (66/11 kV).

Mr George said the government was taking decisive steps to stabilize electricity supply, given the surge in demand post-COVID-19. “Despite the increase in demand from 9,000 MW to around 18,000 MW in 2024, the government has ensured that farmers and households do not face outages. When our government took office in 2023, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had directed the Ministry of Power to guarantee at least five hours of continuous supply and within a month, this was increased to seven hours of uninterrupted supply.”

The Minister said that Karnataka is implementing KUSUM-B and KUSUM-C schemes on mission mode to promote decentralized, local power generation. “Through the injection of local solar power into local grids, we will reduce demand pressure and increase supply reliability,” he said.

He added that if 40 acres of land within the limits of Bailuvaddigere substation is made available, a 10 MW solar power plant will be established to strengthen the grid and support local consumption.

Commitment to outreach programs

Pointing to the government’s welfare commitments, Mr. George said Karnataka spends ₹55,000 crore annually on guarantee schemes and ₹20,000 crore as subsidy for agricultural pump sets alone.

“Electricity provided to farmers is not a loss. It increases food production and strengthens the State’s economy. The government is also providing ₹9,000 crore subsidy under the Gruha Jyothi scheme to support domestic consumers,” he said.

Welcoming the projects, Hosapete MLA HR Gaviappa said that the long-awaited demand for improved energy infrastructure in the region has finally been met. “With the new substations in Hosapete and nearby villages, our farmers will face fewer interruptions and the region will see rapid progress,” he said.

Lok Sabha Member from Ballari E. Tukaram, MLAs NT Srinivas and MP Latha Mallikarjun, KPTCL Managing Director Pankaj Kumar Pandey, senior engineers from KPTCL and officials from various departments were present.