Karnataka can expect uninterrupted power supply during coming summer: Minister

Energy Minister K. J. George promised that Karnataka will face no load-shedding in the coming summer. He added that the State Government is fully committed to supplying seven hours of uninterrupted three-phase power to farmers.

The Minister inaugurated a newly-constructed 110/11 kV power sub-station at Bailuvaddigere village, in Hosapete taluk of Vijayanagara district, built at a cost of ₹9.28 crore by Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL).

The Minister also performed groundbreaking ceremonies for upcoming sub-stations in Hosapete town (110/11 kV), Nagenahalli (110/11 kV) and Narasimhagiri (66/11 kV).

Mr. George said that the government has taken decisive steps to stabilise power supply in view of the post-COVID-19 surge in demand. “In 2024, despite the demand rising from 9,000 MW to nearly 18,000 MW, the government ensured that farmers and households did not face disruptions. When our government took office in 2023, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had instructed the Energy Department to guarantee a minimum of five hours of continuous supply, and within a month this was scaled up to seven hours without interruption,” he said.

The Minister said that Karnataka is implementing KUSUM-B and KUSUM-C schemes in a mission mode to promote decentralised, local power generation. “Through local solar power injection into local grids, we will reduce demand pressure and improve supply reliability,” he said.

If 40 acres of land is made available in the Bailuvaddigere sub-station limits, a 10 MW solar plant would be installed to strengthen the grid and support local consumption, he added.

Commitment to welfare schemes

Pointing to the government’s welfare commitments, Mr. George said Karnataka is spending ₹55,000 crore annually on guarantee schemes, and ₹20,000 crore in subsidy for agricultural pump-sets alone.

“Electricity supplied to farmers is not a loss. It boosts food production and strengthens the State’s economy. The government is also providing ₹9,000 crore subsidy under the Gruha Jyothi scheme to support domestic consumers,” he said.

Hosapete MLA H. R. Gaviappa, welcoming the projects, said the long-pending demand for improved power infrastructure in the region had finally been met. “With new sub-stations in Hosapete and nearby villages, our farmers will face fewer outages, and the region will see rapid progress,” he said.

Lok Sabha Member from Ballari E. Tukaram, MLAs N.T. Srinivas and M.P. Latha Mallikarjun, KPTCL Managing Director Pankaj Kumar Pandey, senior engineers from KPTCL and officials from various departments were present.