Ramanagara: To bring unauthorized agricultural irrigation pump sets under the legal framework, the state government has introduced an updated version of the Quick Connection Scheme. Energy Minister K. J. George announced that farmers who set up the necessary infrastructure on their own will be provided with transformers by ESCOMs (Electricity Supply Companies), enabling the regularization of their pump sets.
Speaking at a meeting with people's representatives and department officials regarding the Energy Department at the Deputy Commissioner's office on Tuesday, Updated Quick Connection Scheme to Regularize Agricultural Pump Sets: Energy Minister K.J. George said, "If farmers arrange the line and other basic infrastructure at their own cost for unauthorized agricultural pump sets installed after September 22, 2023, ESCOMs will provide transformers for two or more pump sets and regularize them."
"Although a scheme to regularize unauthorized agricultural pump sets was introduced in the state in 2004 when our government came to power in 2023, there were still 4.5 lakh unauthorized pump sets. In response, the government decided to regularise the unauthorized pump sets that had been connected before September 22, 2023, and have so far regularised 2.5 lakh pump sets. The remaining will be regularized within the next year," Energy Minister KJ George added.
"However, there was no legal provision to regularize unauthorized pump sets installed after September 22, 2023. In light of this, the revised Quick Connection Scheme has been implemented. Under this scheme, farmers with unauthorized pump sets must pay a prescribed deposit to ESCOMs and create the necessary infrastructure at their own expense. After that, ESCOMs will provide transformers based on capacity for two or more pump sets and regularize their connections," KJ George said.
"The revised Quick Connection Scheme applies to all agricultural pump sets located within 500 meters of the power grid. For pump sets located more than 500 meters away from the power grid, the installation of solar pump sets will be mandatory. Under the KUSUM-B scheme, the central government will provide a 30% subsidy, and the state government will provide a 50% subsidy for solar pump sets. Farmers will need to pay only the remaining 20% of the cost," Energy Minister KJ George explained.
Cabinet Decision Regarding OC Issue for Power Connection:
When legislators raised concerns during the meeting about the problems caused by the Energy Department's rule that electricity connections should not be provided to any commercial or residential buildings without an Occupancy Certificate (OC), Minister K. J. George responded by stating that the Energy Department implemented this policy in compliance with a Supreme Court order. He acknowledged that the government is aware of the problems this has caused and has instructed officials to discuss the issue in the cabinet meeting and devise a solution. Once officials prepare an appropriate resolution, a decision will be taken in the cabinet to address the public's concerns.
The Energy Minister also instructed officials to encourage consumers who use more than 200 units of electricity per month to adopt the PM Surya Ghar Yojana for solar power generation at home. He further directed that energy-related works in each division should be carried out in regular consultation with the local elected representatives.
Lineman Recruitment by the End of June
"The recruitment process for 3,000 linemen in the state is in its final stage, with physical training currently underway. Appointment orders will be issued, and all recruits will be posted by the end of June," he said.
"Since the monsoon season has already begun, instructions have been given to deploy additional staff and keep extra equipment ready to address any issues that may arise immediately. With the linemen appointments scheduled to be completed by the end of June, it will help ensure that problems caused by rain and storms are minimized," KJ George said.
117 MW Power Under KUSUM-C
"In Bengaluru South (Ramanagara) district, it has been decided to generate 117 megawatts of electricity under the KUSUM-C scheme through the solarization of agricultural feeders. For this purpose, 21 locations have been identified, and land acquisition has already been completed at 156 sites. If suitable land is not available, solar panels under the KUSUM-C scheme will also be installed on lakebeds," KJ George elaborated.
When local MLAs raised the issue of wild animals often intruding into areas near the forest regions of the district at night, Minister K. J. George responded with the government's proactive approach. He stated that orders have already been issued to supply electricity for 7 hours during the day and that implementation is underway accordingly. He assured that in areas facing technical issues, the government is working to ensure that electricity is supplied at night, demonstrating the government's responsiveness to local needs and concerns.
MLAs H.A. Iqbal Hussain, H.C. Balakrishna, C.P. Yogeshwar, MLC S. Ravi, KPTCL Managing Director Pankaj Kumar Pandey, BESCOM Managing Director Dr N. Shivashankara, Deputy Commissioner Yashavanth V. Gurukar, along with other public representatives of the district and officials from BESCOM and KPTCL, were present at the meeting.
Discussion with Union Minister on Smart Meters
Ramanagara: As the central government has directed that smart meters be installed across all regions by August, Energy Minister K. J. George stated that discussions will be held with the Union Minister regarding the expansion of the Revised Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) in the state.
Speaking to reporters in the city on Tuesday, he said, "Union Energy Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, during his recent visit to Bengaluru, instructed that smart meters must be installed across the state by August. Previously, under the RDSS, the central government provided a subsidy of ₹900 per smart meter. However, that scheme is no longer in effect. Therefore, I have requested the Union Minister to extend the RDSS. He suggested that we discuss the matter when I visit Delhi. Accordingly, I will soon travel to Delhi to hold talks with the Union Minister on this issue," KJ George explained.
"The central government had instructed the installation of smart meters in the financial year 2021–22. In response, the Revised Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) was implemented. However, the central government had stated that state governments could avail themselves of the scheme's benefits only if they cleared pending subsidies and other dues owed to the respective electricity supply companies. As a result, the state government did not accept the scheme at that time. Now, the central government will be requested to relax these conditions," KJ George said.
"Currently, as per the order of the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), smart meters are mandatory only for new and temporary electricity connections. For existing connections, it is optional—only those who wish to can opt for the installation of smart meters," he responded to a question.
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