Govt ready with list of officials involved in solar panel scam, says DKS

Energy Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said the list of officials involved in irregularities while approving applications for large-scale solar rooftop panels has been prepared.

On July 7, the minister had suspended nine engineers for allowing applicants to install solar panels without Revenue Register (RR) numbers, giving permission to buildings which did not exist and conniving with realtors to help them get permission at subsidised rates.

Shivakumar was speaking at an event organised by the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (KPTCL), where 258 contract employees were made permanent.

“The list of officials who have erred is ready. The officials have been given three to four days’ time to come clean, failing which they will be suspended and criminal cases will be filed against them. The defaulters have already been warned and now no ne will be spared,” Shivakumar said.

Reservoirs only 35% full

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, KPTCL managing director Jawaid Akhtar said the department was keen on ensuring that reservoirs were filled to capacity to ensure that there is no power crisis in summer and in the forthcoming days. Three major dams -- Linganamakki, Supa and Mani — are only 30-35% full. Only Almatti is full due to heavy rainfall in Maharashtra. “It has been raining but not at reservoirs where it is needed. There is still time and we hope the reservoirs will fill up to meet power demand,” Akhtar said.