The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Power tariff proposal to go to KERC soon

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Thursday, Jun 25, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Power tariff proposal to go to KERC soon

Special Correspondent

Electricity supply companies want tariff to be raised

The power tariff has not been revised since 2005
State getting step-motherly treatment in power allocation: Eshwarappa

BANGALORE: The State Government will submit a proposal on power tariff revision to the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) before the end of this month.

Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, Minister for Energy K.S. Eshwarappa said a high-level official committee, which was studying the power situation in the State, would submit the proposal to the KERC.

The committee had already held two rounds of discussion so far.

However, the Minister did not say anything on the increase or decrease in power tariff. All electricity supply companies (Escoms) in the State have been demanding hike in power tariff. The power tariff has not been revised since 2005. The Minister said a decision had been taken to step up generation in thermal units to store water in reservoirs in anticipation of power shortage due to inadequate rainfall.

Since June 1, the power situation had improved and the current demand was 90 to 100 million units (mu) per day as against the supply of 105 mu.

“All attempts have been made to ensure that there is no power shortage. We have stored water in excess in the Kali and Sharavati reservoirs. Despite coal prices being on the higher side, government-owned thermal units in Raichur and Bellary are enhancing generation. We expect rain in the next one week,” the Minister said.

Mr. Eshwarappa said he met Union Minister for Power Sushil Kumar Shinde in New Delhi a few days ago and sought increase in the allocation of power to the State from the central grid.

The State continued to get step-motherly treatment in the allocation of power from the central grid, he said and added that the Centre which withdrew the allocation of 50 MW from its unallocated share in July last was yet to restore it to Karnataka, despite repeated pleas.

He said the Centre had been urged to sanction a greenfield 2,000 MW nuclear power plant to the State. The Centre had set a target to expand nuclear capacity by 20,000 MW by 2020. The Minister sought the intervention of the Union Coal Ministry for the allotment of a captive coal block to the National Thermal Power Corporation, especially for the Kudgi project in Bijapur district. The NTPC had been implementing the 4,000 MW project at Kudgi.

Under the Power Development Reform Programme, the Centre had sanctioned Rs. 388 crore for 99 towns having a population of less than 30,000, he said. The project would be implemented in the next two years.

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