Kalpa Media House | Haveri |
Energy Minister K.J. George has announced plans to recruit 3,000 linemen by the end of April to address the state’s current shortage of workers. This move aims to strengthen the workforce and ensure a more reliable electricity supply throughout Karnataka.
“During an energy department review meeting held today at the Haveri Zilla Panchayat Hall, the Energy Minister emphasized the critical role of linemen in ensuring adequate electricity supply. The recruitment process for 3,000 linemen will be expedited and completed by April 2025,” Energy Minister KJ George said.
Due to the severe drought last year in the state, there was a shortage of electricity, but it was only a problem for one month. In the remaining 11 months, electricity was correctly supplied. The electricity demand this year is expected to be around 19,000 megawatts. The department is prepared to purchase additional electricity if demand increases during the summer and there is no electricity shortage,” the Energy Minister said.
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Seek the advice of public representatives
The government values public input and is open to suggestions for resolving issues. Therefore, the HESCOM officials are encouraged to maintain regular communication with local representatives. This approach ensures that public concerns are addressed and brought to the attention of the HESCOM Managing Director.
The government is prioritizing the Kusum-B scheme, which provides solar pump sets, to address electricity issues for agricultural pump sets. The state government has increased its subsidy share to 50%, while the central government offers a 30% subsidy. Farmers only need to pay 20% of the cost to receive a solar pump set. The Energy Minister stated that this scheme would greatly benefit farmers.
After the Congress government came to power in the state, 2.5 lakh illegal agricultural pump sets were regularized and provided with solar power. The process of regularizing the remaining illegal pump sets is still ongoing. The Energy Minister added that a decision will be made later regarding the newly received applications for illegal connections and regularization.
During the meeting, Haveri MLA Rudrappa Lamani requested the minister to set up a 110 kV capacity station in Negalur. In response, the minister instructed the officials to submit a proposal within two days.
Hangal MLA Srinivas Mane expressed concern that transformers are burning due to excessive pressure and emphasized the need for upgrades. He requested that the damaged transformers be replaced promptly.
Hirekerur MLA U.B. Banakar said agricultural pump sets should have continuous electricity for seven hours daily. He also requested that the old electricity lines in some areas be replaced.
After hearing the legislators’ concerns, Minister K.J. George directed the HESCOM Managing Director to take appropriate action on all the issues raised. He also stressed the importance of obtaining a report on the illegal electricity connections used by the sugar mills and taking the necessary steps.
The meeting was attended by Bagalkot MLA and Chairman of the Karnataka State Forest Development Corporation, Basavaraj Shivannavar, Hubli Electricity Supply Company Limited Chairman Azeem P. Khadri, Vice Chairman of the Karnataka State Guarantee Scheme Implementation Authority S.R. Patil, Prakash Koliwad, Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, Vijay Mahantesh Danammanavar IAS District Commissioner Haveri, Akshy Sridhar, Chief Executive Officer of Haveri Zilla Panchayat, Anshu Kumar District Superintendent of Police Haveri, and other department officials.
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