Karnataka’s KJ George Announces New Solar Projects to Boost Power in Kolar
Karnataka Energy Minister KJ George announced on Friday that the government will implement the Kusum B and Kusum C projects to solve power issues in districts like Kolar. This initiative aims to provide a permanent solution to the region’s power challenges.
Meeting in Kolar
Energy Minister KJ George held a meeting with district representatives, BESCOM, and KPTCL officials at the Kolar Zilla Panchayat office. He discussed the progress of the Kusum B project, which involves installing solar pump sets. With a 30% subsidy from the Central Government and a 50% subsidy from the state government, farmers will only need to cover 20% of the costs. Many farmers have already enrolled in the scheme, showing strong support.
Kusum C Feeder Solarization Project
Under the Kusum C project, solar power units will be installed to supply electricity directly to nearby substations. This ensures consistent power availability. Solar units will be set up across the district, requiring four acres of land to generate one megawatt of electricity. If private land is used, it costs Rs 25,000 per acre per year. For government land, the Energy Department will pay Rs 25,000 to the district collector, which will be used to improve local facilities like Anganwadis and schools.
Ensuring Adequate Power Supply
The state currently has more electricity available than the demand. The government is building additional substations and upgrading transformers. If more electricity is needed, agreements with other states through the energy swapping policy will help reduce costs. For remote areas, alternative systems like wind or solar power will be arranged.
Public Awareness and Coordination
The Central Government’s Surya Ghar Yojana is not in high demand due to the state’s Gruha Jyoti scheme. Efforts will be made to increase public awareness of the Surya Ghar Yojana. The Minister also emphasized the importance of BESCOM engineers maintaining regular contact with MLAs to address local issues effectively.
Attendees
The meeting was attended by Kolar MP Mallesh Babu, Chief Minister’s Political Secretary/MLC Naseer Ahmed, Kolar MLA Kottur G. Manjunath, Malur MLA KY Nanjegowda, Srinivasapur MLA GK Venkatashivareddy, MLC Anil Kumar, Energy Department Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta, BESCOM Managing Director Mahantesh Bilagi, Kolar District Collector Akram Pasha, Kolar District Superintendent of Police B. Nikhil, and other officials.
Doubts Revealed
Karnataka -: Karnataka is a state in the southern part of India. It is known for its rich culture, history, and technology hubs like Bengaluru.
KJ George -: KJ George is a politician in Karnataka. He is the Energy Minister, which means he is responsible for managing the state’s electricity and power resources.
Kolar -: Kolar is a district in Karnataka. It is known for its gold mines and is located near Bengaluru.
Kusum B project -: The Kusum B project is a government initiative to install solar-powered pump sets for farmers. These pumps help in drawing water for irrigation using solar energy, which is cheaper and more sustainable.
Kusum C project -: The Kusum C project aims to set up solar power units that generate electricity. This electricity is then supplied to substations, which distribute it to homes and businesses.
subsidies -: Subsidies are financial help given by the government to make things cheaper for people. In this case, the government is helping to reduce the cost of solar pump sets for farmers.
substations -: Substations are places where electricity is converted to a lower voltage so it can be safely used in homes and businesses. They are important for distributing power.