Power tariff hike is on the cards: KPTCL chief

By Our Staff Correspondent

ALAMATTI (BIJAPUR DT.), OCT. 7. Increase in the power tariff is on the cards, the Chairman of the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL), Mr. V.P. Baligar, has said.

Speaking to presspersons here on Friday after reviewing the power supply condition in the district, he said the revision of power tariff was inevitable as the KPTCL had incurred a loss of Rs. 2,299 crores.

Supply of power to irrigation pumpsets at a nominal rate was one of the reasons for its loss, he said and added that bill collection in this regard was poor. The net due on this count had crossed Rs. 400 crores, he said.

The State Government had now entrusted the 297 mw hydel power project at Alamatti Dam site to Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL). Once the clearance was secured from the Centre, construction work would be commenced, he said.

Several private companies had come forward with proposals to generate power to the tune of 3500 mw to 4000 mw. If these proposals were materialised, State would not have power shortage in next 3 years, Mr. Baligar said.

Earlier, Mr. S.R.Kashappanavar, Minister for Small Scale Industries, chaired the review meeting in which Mr. Veerkumar Patil, Minister of State for Energy, participated.

Power connection would be provided free of cost to the evacuees of the Upper Krishna Project, Mr. Baligar said. The State Government had already taken a decision in this regard, he said.

Answering to a query by Mr. S.D.Karpoorimath, MLC, he said the KPTCL would provide 200 new transformers to Bijapur District with in a month, and measures would be taken to repair at least 100 transformers a month.

Unveiling the development programmes to improve the power supply condition in the district, the KPTCL Chairman said 110 kv. stations would be commissioned in Mamadapur and Indi before June 2001. Apart from this, 33 kv. distribution centres would also be started at Devaragennur, Managuli and other places, he said.

Mr. Basavanagouda Patil Yatnal, Bijapur MP, asked the KPTCL Chairman to explore the possibility of setting up a diesel power generation plant at Indi. Reacting to this, Mr. Baligar said private companies would be encouraged to undertake such a project. The KPTCL was not in a position to venture into this project, he added.

Mr. C.S.Nadagouda, Muddebihal MLA and the Chief Whip, said there were no street lights in many rehabilitation centres coming under Narayanapur Dam Project. Mr. Kashappanavar, who is also District incharge Minister, said a separate meeting would be held with in a week to discuss the issue.

Mr. S.K.Bellubbi, Mr. Shivanand Patil, Mr. Sharanappa Sunagar, and Mr. M.L.Ustad, MLAs, Mr. B.G. Patil, and Mr. S.R. Patil, MLCs, were present in the meeting.

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Section  : Southern States
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