Karnataka to buy 1,000 MW of power, says Minister D K Shivakumar

Bengaluru: Expecting the peak load to increase from 8,500 MW to anywhere between 9,500 MW and 10,500 MW during the festive season next month, the State government has decided to purchase 1,000 MW of power.

“The decision was taken to avoid problems for power supply during the festive season. A tender has been floated inviting bidders,’’ Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar told reporters. Shivakumar said the tender, which was floated with permission from Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission, will be finalised in the next 15 days.Of the 1,000 MW, around 500 MW will be purchased from southern States and the remaining from other parts of India. Currently, the peak load has come down to around 8,500 MW owing to good rains, reducing the use of irrigation pumpsets, he said.

Pointing out that work on various schemes was progressing, the Minister said officials have been directed to ensure that all work is completed by December. The Belaku Grama scheme has been taken up in 946 villages in 187 Assembly constituencies. Twenty-eight subdivisions in the city are being upgraded in the first phase of the Model Subdivision Scheme, where overhead cables will be replaced by underground cables, five-star distribution transformers and smart meters will be installed.