Bengaluru, October 14: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed his concerns to officials of the State Energy Department, questioning the lack of preparations for emergency situations that would prevent power shortages for farmers in the state.
During a review of the Energy Department’s progress at his residence ‘Krishna,’ Siddaramaiah referred to ongoing farmer protests in certain districts and reprimanded the officials responsible.
He stressed the need for a scientific distribution of available power in different segments, emphasizing that this proactive approach could have mitigated the situation without causing hardship to farmers. The Chief Minister urged the Chief Engineers to personally inspect the field and address the situation.
Siddaramaiah emphasized the importance of communicating the power crisis to farmers and understanding their grievances. He noted the deficit in rainfall and the ongoing drought conditions in the state, which have led to challenges in power generation.
He also inquired about actions taken against power pilferage and leakage and requested information about the vigilance force’s involvement.
The Chief Minister directed the State Energy Department to monitor power theft and ensure that officers are actively addressing the issue.
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 officials.
