K'taka CM hopeful of managing power crisis

B D Narayankar

Press Trust of India

Bangalore, Oct 11: Expressing confidence about producing 5000 MW power in the next three years, Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda today said the power crisis in the state was blown out of proportion by the media.

Though the Telagana agitation has disrupted coal supply to the state, the government was making all efforts to solve the power crisis, he told reporters here on the sidelines of industry body FICCI's National Executive Committee meeting. The state was buying 200 MW from Chhattisgarh, but was not getting the full quota due to technical problems in the transmission line, Gowda said.

The Chhattisgarh Government has promised to provide an additional 100 MW to the state, he said adding alternative arranagements were also being made to get coal from Nagpur. Moreover, the government planned to get power from sugarcane bagasse co-generation plants, he said.

The governnment would take all steps to fix a reasonable selling price for supply of power to the state, Gowda said. The government also plans to set up 2100 MW power plant in Raichur, he added.

Though a joint venture has been signed with L&T for 1600 MW thermal power plant in Chhattisgarh, the state government is yet to obtain clearance for coal linkage, Gowda said.

Moreover of a total share of 1234 MW of power from the central grid, the state was getting just 700 MW power, he rued.