From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jun 2: With electricity generation in Karnataka being more than the demand, chief minister BS Yediyurappa has asked officials to finalise long-term contracts for the supply of power to industries in the state.

He was addressing a meeting convened by him to discuss the power generation and supply to the industries in the state.

The installed capacity for power generation in the state is 30,562.56 megawatts annually and 50% of the power is produced through renewable sources of energy, placing the state in a comfortable position of having no shortages.

Almost all the hydel generating reservoirs in the state have sufficient storages and the monsoon forecast for this year is a normal rainfall. This puts the state in a comfortable position of no shortages of power.

Taking note of the fact that the leakage in the transmission network is roughly 3%, which is the second-lowest in the country, the chief minister said and asked the officials to ensure that the leakage in the distribution network was also brought down below 5%.

The officials informed the chief minister that the installation of feeders in the electricity generating stations to ensure a 7-hour power supply to irrigation pump sets was in progress and expected to be completed by the middle of next year. Work on establishing 26 stations and 182 feeders has already been completed.

The chief minister directed the officials of the industries and energy departments to hold periodic review meetings to ensure quality power supply to the industries, which were consuming 18% of the total energy supply in the state.

Large and medium industries minister, Jagadish Shettar, chief secretary P Ravikumar, chief minister’s additional chief secretary, Dr E V Ramana Reddy, finance department’s additional chief secretary, I S N Prasad, energy department’s additional chief secretary, G Kumar Naik, commerce and industries department additional chief secretary, Raj Kumar Khatri and other senior officials attended the meeting.

Large and medium industries minister, Jagadish Shettar presented a cheque for Rs 3 crore to the chief minister on behalf of the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

79 oxygen concentrators from Toyota Kirloskar

Earlier, the Toyota Kirloskar Motors Pvt Ltd handed over 79 oxygen concentrators to the chief minister as the company’s Corporation Social Responsibility Fund contribution.

Heath and medical education minister, Dr K Sudhakar and Toyota Kirloskar general manager, Rajendra Hegde and others were present.