K'taka cabinet approves sub-committee on power

Bangalore, July 10 (UNI) Karnataka cabinet today approved a cabinet sub-commitee for streamlining power supply following its shortage due to less rainfall this season.

Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Shobha Karandlaje told reporters after the cabinet meet here that the committee would be headed by Energy Minister K S Eshwarappa with three ministers including Home Minister V S Acharya as members to deal with the problems of power supply.

She said the committee would review the situation for every 15 days.

The availability of water in most of the dams like Linganamakki, Supa and Varahi was very less in comparision to the last year and this would create a shortage of 800 mw of power on a daily basis in the coming days.

The cabinet also gave its approval for calling of tenders in connection with generation of power, she said.

The sub-committee would also be empowered to deal with the coal based power projects in Bellary and Raichur, pressurising for the supply of more power from Central grids and from private producers to meet the shortage of power in the state, she added.

She said the government would wait and watch for rain for another one week and take action to deal with the new situation accordingly.

To a question on free supply of power to farmers as promised in the manifesto, she said the issue did not come up in that meeting.

Ms Karandlaje said the cabinet gave its approval for appointment of 5628 Panchayat Development Officers in view of the huge budgets they were handling.

The cabinet also gave its approval to set up a cabinet sub-committee on regularisation of 17,500 daily wagers on humanitarian basis, she said.

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