E-Paper
Oppn looks to corner Karnataka govt on power shortage
The power shortage in Karnataka has become a political issue, with protests from the BJP and JD(S), and attacks from the BRS party leader in Telangana.
Bengaluru: The power shortage in Karnataka has emerged as a political controversy, not only in Karnataka but also in the neighbouring poll-bound Telangana. Both the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) have been staging protests against government-imposed load shedding, which is adversely affecting the farmers. On the other hand, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party leader K Kavitha is also using the situation to attack the Congress in Telangana.
Due to the persistent situation of drought, the electricity production in Karnataka has dwindled. Karnataka’s energy minister, KJ George, on Thursday stated that the government is committed to providing a continuous 5-hour power supply to the farming community. Following a meeting with department officials, George conducted a press conference at Belaku Bhavana to outline the government’s initiatives aimed at ensuring a minimum of 5 hours of uninterrupted power for farmers.
“We are dedicated to providing farmers with 5 hours of uninterrupted power supply, rotating between daytime and night-time in three shifts. We will communicate the shift schedules to farmers through various media outlets, including publications, radio, and television. Currently, our state faces a shortage of 1,500 MW,” George said.
In response to this, BRS MLC Kavita posted on X, stating that the Congress is attempting to export its electricity problems to Telangana. While highlighting the statement made by the Karnataka power minister during the 2023 state assembly elections promising 20 hours of electricity, she questioned why they are now settling for just 5 hours.
“The Karnataka power minister [KJ George] stated that he promised 20 hours of electricity during the elections but now won’t accept just 5 hours. Similarly, the Telangana PCC president expressed that 3 hours of electricity suffice, deeming 24 hours unnecessary. Why is Congress introducing electricity issues to us? We don’t require discussions at 5 o’clock or 3 o’clock. Let’s endorse KCR, the only chief minister providing free 24-hour electricity in the country,” she tweeted.
Meanwhile, in Karnataka, BJP leader and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa expressed concerns about the challenges faced by farmers due to load shedding in various parts of the state during the drought. He added that the he plans to embark on a state-wide tour with fellow BJP leaders to highlight the power shortage in the state.
“I personally witnessed how the maladministration of the ruling Congress has adversely affected farmers in rural areas. On one hand, the farmers are grappling with a severe drought, while on the other hand, unscheduled load shedding by the state government is hitting them hard. They are struggling to irrigate their crops by drawing water from their IP sets,” he said in Raichur.
JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy stated that he had previously alerted the state government about the impending electricity shortage in the state, but he was not allowed to address the issue in the legislature. “Electricity woes in the state will only worsen in the next two months. But, the state government is keeping itself busy talking about the guarantee schemes without bothering about the real problems people are facing,” he said.
The government is not only facing criticism from the opposition but also from the industry. Amidst the power shortages and load shedding across Karnataka, the Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association has written to deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and energy minister KJ George, requesting uninterrupted electricity supply.
“Due to the unscheduled load shedding, our industry is encountering problems. We are struggling to operate cold storage, refrigerators, and grinders. Food production in the state has already declined by 50%, and such power cuts can further impact farmers,” stated the letter to the government.
George, however, mentioned that efforts are being made to purchase electricity to address short-term deficits, pending approval from the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC). He noted that section 11 of the Electricity Act has been invoked under national disaster management to procure electricity from in-state power generators, with the aim of overcoming the power shortage.
“The demand for power has significantly increased due to the severe drought situation in Karnataka. However, the government is striving to meet this growing demand by purchasing power from both within and outside the state. An order has been issued mandating local power generators to supply electricity to the government,” he said.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah had earlier highlighted the significant increase in power consumption, currently ranging from 15,000 MW to 16,000 MW, as compared to 9,000 MW to 10,000 MW, during the same period the previous year. He attributed the power shortage to this surge in demand and said the government is committed to address the issue. “We recently issued an order mandating local power generators to supply electricity to the government, and we will purchase power to address the problem,” he assured.
