Karnataka to implement Kusum B and Kusum C projects

Kolar (Karnataka) [India], August 30 : Karnataka Energy Minister KJ George announced on Friday that the government is set to implement the Kusum B and Kusum C projects in the state.
This strategic focus aims to provide a permanent solution to the power challenges faced by districts such as Kolar, ensuring significant benefits for the region.
Energy Minister KJ George held a meeting on Friday with district representatives, BESCOM, and KPTCL officials at the Kolar Zilla Panchayat office. He highlighted the progress of the Kusum B project, which involves installing solar pump sets. With a generous 30% subsidy from the Central Government and a 50% subsidy from the state government, farmers will only need to cover 20% of the costs.
Energy Minister George also stated that many farmers across the state have already enrolled in the scheme, demonstrating widespread enthusiasm and support for this initiative.
Under the Kusum C Feeder Solarization Project, solar power generating units will be installed to supply electricity directly to nearby substations. This approach ensures that power is consistently available within each substation, effectively addressing potential customer power issues.
Solar units will be set up across the district, with four acres of land needed 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. This money will be used to improve basic facilities in Anganwadis and schools in the area where the land is provided, the Energy Minister explained.
"The state currently has more electricity available than the current demand," he said.
"We are ensuring an adequate supply, including building additional sub-stations and upgrading transformers. If more electricity is needed, we enter into agreements with other states through the energy swapping policy, which helps reduce financial costs for the ministry", he added.
Regarding alternative energy solutions for villages, if providing uninterrupted electricity is challenging for some remote areas, we will arrange for alternative systems like wind or solar power. We will utilize central government schemes to support these efforts," the Minister said.
"The Central Government's Surya Ghar Yojana is not in high demand at the moment due to the state's ongoing Gruha Jyoti scheme. However, we will work to increase public awareness of the Surya Ghar Yojana under the guidance of the respective District Collectors," the KJ George stated.
When MLAs from the Kolar district brought up issues concerning their constituencies during the meeting, the Minister responded, "People typically bring their concerns directly to the MLAs, who are thus well-informed about the problems. Therefore, Bescom engineers should maintain regular contact with the MLAs in their areas, consider their suggestions, and ensure that necessary work is carried out."
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.