Energy Minister V Sunil Kumar said that the Energy department is committed to lay underground power cables in the temple town of Subrahmanya.
The Minister directed the Mescom MD to prepare a blueprint for the project on laying UG cable at Subrahmanya. Depending on the available funds, all efforts will be made to lay UG power cable, he said after inaugurating development works worth Rs 15 crore initiated through the Mescom at Subrahmanya on Monday. The laying of UG power cables will free the town of live overhead electricity cables.
Works worth Rs 1,100 crore will be implemented in the Mescom jurisdiction through Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) of the Central government. The scheme is to improve the quality, reliability and affordability of power supply by increasing the sub stations and other works. Works worth Rs 290 crore will be implemented in Mangaluru.
Taking note of the increasing number of complaints over inordinate delays in replacing defunct transformers in rural areas, the Minister said that officials have been directed to fix the problem within 24 hours of receiving complaints. In the last one and a half months, 20,000 defunct transformers have been replaced within 24 hours in the state.
Under the Belaku scheme which aimed to power up rural households without requiring a no-objection certificate from the local bodies, the Minister said that 1,700 houses have been provided with electricity out of 2,500 houses without electricity in Dakshina Kannada district.
Kumar said: “All houses will be given electricity supply. The government has scrapped the condition of no objection certificate (NOC) from the local bodies concerned before getting an electricity connection. The electricity connections will be given if the owner has Aadhaar and ration card.”
He said 33 kV underground power cable from 33 kV Guttigaru sub station to Subrahmanya sub station has been taken up.
“With the cooperation of the consumers, Mescom is not running under losses unlike Hescom and Gescom. The energy department is chalking out projects that will benefit the consumers in the days to come. To overcome the hindrances posed by the forest department for laying power lines, the Minister said that the government has brought in a few amendments to the law pertaining to the forest department to ensure that development works are not affected.
MLC Bhoje Gowda urged the Mescom to supply quality electricity to the interior areas where farmers cultivate vegetables from January to April. “Farmers in Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru have been demanding quality electricity in three phases for the pumpsets. The fluctuations in electricity supplied have damaged several irrigation pumpsets. To repair the pumpsets, the farmers have to shell out Rs 6,500 to Rs 7,000.”
Minister for Fisheries, Port and Inland Water Transport S Angara said that development works should be implemented within a time frame.
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