City will soon be free from load sheddings, claims CM

To meet the power crisis in the State, the  Government has decided to purchase power on a long term basis till  May 2011 by spending Rs 3,946 crore, of which the Bangalore will get a greater share - for an uninterrupted power supply.

Speaking to reporters on Monday in Bangalore, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said power will be purchased at a cost between Rs 4.50 and Rs six a unit to meet the growing demand of all the power-hungry cities and villages.

“Cities (other than Bangalore) will be given 22 hours power and the IP sets will be given six hours of three-phase power and and six hours of single-phase power,” he announced.

Stating that the State’s power demand is growing by 15 per cent annually, Yeddyurappa said the scant rainfall during the year had meant sparse inflow into the hydel dams, reducing generation and leading to the crisis of power supply.

Agreements

An agreement had been reached with several companies, like the Chattisgarh-based Lanco Amarkantak and JPL as also companies in Gujarat, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.

An agreement with JSW energy Thorangal has also been reached with the company set to suppy power at a tariff ranging between Rs 4.94 and Rs. 5.40.  Offers from Lanco, Tata Power, Reliance Energy, Adani, Knowledge and PTC (Government of Chattisgarh) has been rejected.

These companies had offered power at a cost ranging Rs 4.84 to Rs 6.84.