JOIN USShe was speaking to reporters after a meeting with officials of Karnataka Power Corporation (KPC) at Jog near here on Monday.
“Power auditing has not been done in the State so far. It is necessary to know the sector-wise consumption of power to plan generation projects for the future,” she said.
However, the minister clarified that installation of meters did not mean that farmers would be compelled to pay for the power they consumed.
Power generation would commence at the third unit of Bellary thermal power station and second unit of Udupi thermal power station in February. The allotment of coal for Yadlapura, Yaramaras, Bellary, Jewargi and the Chhattisgarh thermal power stations was yet to be fixed.
Reduced generation
She said that the present water storage at Linganamakki reservoir stood at 88 per cent of its total capacity. An average of 4,000 million units of power could be generated daily with the present storage till the end of May. The average daily generation at present was 15 to 20 per cent of the total generation capacity, as it had been decided to utilise the available water economically. She suggested the KPC officials to illuminate the Jog Falls with focus lights to attract tourists.
Permits would be issued expeditiously for proposals from private companies to set up mini hydel power projects. The proposals seeking permission for hydel projects submitted before 2005 would be dismissed, while fresh requests after 2008 would be cleared on priority, Karandlaje said.