Bengaluru: During a review of the Energy Department’s progress at the Chief Minister’s Home Office ‘Krishna’ on Friday, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah discussed the ongoing power crisis in Karnataka, particularly in districts where farmers have been protesting. He held the responsible officials accountable and stressed the need for action.
Siddaramaiah emphasized the importance of strategically distributing available power in various batches. He noted that had this approach been adopted earlier, the situation could have been managed without causing unnecessary inconvenience to farmers, despite the electricity shortage. He urged Chief Engineers to actively engage in fieldwork, highlighting that problem-solving requires more than office-based solutions.
In response to the power crisis, Siddaramaiah issued clear directives for officials to engage with farmers, understand their grievances, and convince them about the situation. He acknowledged the state’s rainfall deficit and drought conditions, underlining the need to communicate these challenges to farmers. Siddaramaiah proposed that electricity should be allocated to farmers based on their specific requirements.
Furthermore, Siddaramaiah inquired about actions taken to combat power pilferage and leakage. He sought information on the number of SPs (Superintendents of Police) within the vigilance force and urged the State Energy Department to monitor instances of power theft that had been detected. He also directed officials to assess the proactive efforts of officers involved.
The meeting was attended by Chief Minister’s Political Secretary Govindaraju, Chief Secretary to the Karnataka government Vandita Sharma, Energy Department Deputy Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta, Finance Department Deputy Chief Secretary L.K. Ateeq, and other senior officers.