Energy Minister K.S. Eshwarappa on Monday assured people that steps would be taken to ensure there was no disruption in power supply during examination time, though the State was reeling under power shortage.
Participating in a programme organised by the KPTCL Accounts Officers’ Association to release the annual diary brought out by it here, Mr. Eshwarappa said additional power would be bought from power generators to prevent power cuts during examination time.
Later, the Minister told presspersons that he would hold a meeting with Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to decide the quantum of additional power to be procured. Responding to the assurance given by Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde of providing the clearances if Karnataka came out with a proposal for setting up a gas-based power plant, Mr. Eshwarappa said the State had sometime ago forwarded a proposal for setting up a gas-based power plant at Tadadi and a similar project in Bidadi was conceived several years ago.
The State would again take up these two projects with the Centre.
Hope
Earlier, addressing members of the association, the Minister expressed confidence that the power-starved Karnataka would become self-reliant in power in two years. It should be possible to reduce the shortage to an extent by the end of this year itself when the State is expected to receive an additional 1,750 MW of power to its grid from new projects.
Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Energy) K. Jairaj assured the association of considering its demand of creating posts of finance director in Escoms and appointing officers from their cadre to those posts for better financial management. The demand for providing training in various skills would also be met and all Escoms had been told to draw up a training schedule for its employees in soft and hard skills.
Association president V.G. Pandit, who is also financial adviser to KPTCL, demanded representation to accounts’ officers on the boards of Escoms as finance directors.
He appealed to Escoms and KPTCL to recognise and also make best use of knowledge and competence among accounts’ officers in improving the efficiency as well as financial management of power utilities.
