Kalpa Media House | Mandya |
Energy Minister K.J. George has instructed energy department officials to take necessary actions and develop a plan to prevent any electricity supply disruptions during the upcoming summer months, including a proposal to provide an additional two hours of power for sugarcane farmers in Mandya district.
Energy Minister K.J. George held a review meeting with district people’s representatives, BESCOM, and KPTCL officials at the Mandya Zilla Panchayat office today. He instructed CESC officials to take necessary steps to ensure a power supply to farmers and to submit a proposal for an additional two hours of electricity for sugarcane farmers over the next three months while ensuring there is no gap between demand and supply.
Speaking at a meeting held at the Zilla Panchayat hall on Tuesday, which was attended by elected representatives and officials from the Energy Department, the Minister highlighted that due to favourable rainfall in the previous year, there had been an increase in short-duration crops, including sugarcane. As sugarcane requires continuous water supply until the end of March, Member of the Legislative Council Dinesh Gooligowda brought to the Minister’s attention the need for two additional hours of power for agricultural pump sets. In response, the Minister directed the Managing Director of CESC to submit a proposal immediately and assured them that a decision would be made based on the proposal.
This year, Mandya district is experiencing a 30% increase in irrigation during the Rabi season compared to last year, according to estimates from SLCDC and PCKL, based on a study using Artificial Intelligence technology. The expanded cultivation area will lead to higher consumption and an increased need for additional power.
KPTCL is forecasting demand of approximately 400 MW of power for January and February and 1000 MW from March to May 2025. To ensure a smooth power supply, the state is sourcing electricity from neighbouring states, prioritizing power exchanges. Immediate discussions must be initiated with these states to finalize agreements for this purpose. Considering the high costs of short-term electricity procurement, Energy Minister K.J. George emphasized the need to prioritize securing long-term contracts at lower rates.
Energy Minister K.J George also highlighted the progress of the Kusum C project. Under the Kusum C Feeder Solarization Project, solar power-generating units will be installed to supply electricity directly to nearby substations. This approach ensures that power is consistently available within each substation, effectively addressing potential customer power issues.
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Mandya has 59 substations, of which 37 are part of the KUSUM-C scheme, which provides uninterrupted power for seven hours during the daytime. Four of these 37 substations are under construction, while land identification for the remaining 33 is ongoing in the district. The Minister also directed the Mandya District Commissioner to prioritize the identification of land and hand it over to the Energy Department to implement the Kusum-C scheme.
Regularization of Illegal Pump Sets
As of September 2023, 121,164 applications were received for regularizing illegal pump sets, with 115,794 pump sets already regularized. The remaining 5,571 applications will be processed within three months. After addressing the pending applications, the Minister stated that the Cabinet would decide on new applications for illegal and regular pump sets.
Commenting on Electricity Demand
“The state currently has more electricity available than the current demand,” he said. “We are ensuring an adequate supply, including building additional sub-stations and upgrading transformers. If more electricity is needed, we enter into agreements with other states through the energy swapping policy, which helps reduce financial costs for the ministry.”
Officials should be in touch with the people’s representatives
When MLAs from the Mandya district brought up issues concerning their constituencies during the meeting, the Minister responded, “People typically bring their concerns directly to the MLAs, who are thus well-informed about the problems. Therefore, CESC engineers should maintain regular contact with the MLAs in their areas, consider their suggestions, and ensure that necessary work is carried out.”
MLC Dinesh Gooligowda, Srirangapatna MLA Ramesh Bandi Siddegowda, Energy Department Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta, KPTCL Managing Director Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Mandya District Collector Kumar, CEO MANDYA ZP Sheik Tanveer, CESC MD Sheela and other officials attended the meeting.
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