Bidar: The State Government will provide quality power to rural areas, Minister for Public Works and Energy H.D. Revanna said in Humnabad on Saturday.

He was reacting to demands made by people's representatives for uninterrupted power supply for farmers and rural households, made during the inauguration of a Gulbarga Electric Supply Company sub-divisional office.

Mr. Revanna said the Government was investing Rs 4,000 crore in the five electric supply companies to improve the power supply network and to strengthen distribution.

Of this, the Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company would get Rs. 100 crore.

He said the GESCOM would set up another 33/11 kv power station in Bidar in order to reduce load-shedding in the district. He said an executive engineer would be posted in Humnabad along with additional staff.

Mr. Revanna inaugurated a Circuit House and laid the foundation stone for guest houses in Chitaguppa and Mannaekhalli villages.

Road projects

The Minister said the Union Government had released Rs. 20 crore for laying the Bidar-Nanded road. The State Government would also bear part of the cost. Tenders for the project have been finalised. The work would be completed fast, the Public Works Minister said.

Mr. Revanna said the Government had sanctioned Rs. 80 crore for roads in Bidar district. "We are laying stress on building infrastructure such as roads and bridges in backward areas identified by the Dr. Nanjundappa committee report," he said.

The State Government will consider permitting the setting up of a gas-based power station with private participation in Bidar district, Mr Revanna said in reply to a request by the MP Narsingrao Suryavanshi.

New colleges

He said the Government would spend Rs. 104 crore on establishing 104 new colleges in the State. Such colleges would come up in Humnabad and Chitaguppa too, he said. He said the Government had come up with an agriculture policy that would bring a revolution in the farm sector.

Agriculture Minister Bandeppa Kashempur, Karnataka Milk Federation Director Maruti Kashempur, MLC Basavaraj Patil Humnabad, Janata Dal(S) district unit president Baburao Gudage, party leaders Babu Honna Nayak, Ishwarappa Chakote, Rajashree Swamy, Zilla Panchayat members Padmakar Patil, Shivamma Basavaraj, Kushal Yaba and Neelma Roogan were present.

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