Date:30/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/30/stories/2006123009700400.htm

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Karnataka - Bangalore

KPTCL, ESCOMs plan Rs. 3,750-cr. investment

Special Correspondent

The objective is to cut transmission and distribution losses and improve the system

KPTCL will invest Rs. 1,750 cr. and ESCOMs Rs. 2,000 cr.

450 sub-stations to be set up by September 2008

H.D. Revanna

BANGALORE: To reduce transmission and distribution (T&D) losses and improve the system, the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL) and the five power supply companies (ESCOMs) would invest Rs. 3,750 crore in the next two years.

Addressing presspersons here on Friday, Minister for Energy H.D. Revanna said KPTCL would invest Rs. 1,750 crore while the power supply companies — Mangalore Electricity Supply Company, Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company, Hassan Electricity Supply Company, Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company — would invest Rs. 2,000 crore.

The Energy Department had decided to set up 450 sub-stations of various capacities by September 2008. Work on 32 sub-stations had been completed while it was progress in 207. Work contracts had been awarded for 82 stations.

Tenders would be called for the others soon. Work on 120 stations may be completed by March, he said.

Following the increased demand for power, the Government was likely to enforce loadshedding from January to March 2007.

The increase in power consumption was 21.30 per cent in 2006-07 as against 0.89 per cent in 2005-06.

The expected power consumption would touch 126 million units per day in January, 139.46 million units in February and 132.06 million units in March.

The available power from various sources was 115 million units. Presently, the five companies had been supplying 103 million units per day against the projected demand for 130 million units.

Mr. Revanna said a Cabinet Sub-committee had been constituted to decide what measures to be taken to tackle the power crisis in the coming months. Increased power consumption by irrigation pumpsets was one of factors for additional demand for power, he said.

A decision had been taken to electrify 1,500 hamlets in the State by March 2008 under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana. Households in forest, hilly and remote regions had not been electrified.

The percentage of villages electrified was 98.91. The scheme was operational in 26 districts now.

Officials of KPTCL were present.