BENGALURU: Even as power is playing truant in many parts of the state, Energy minister D K Shivakumar on Friday assured that adequate measures have been taken to ensure steady power supply during the exam time.
“We have taken precautions to prevent any inconvenience for students during peak summer as they need to prepare for the exams. Anticipating power shortage, we have made arrangements for purchase of 1000MW additional power for this summer,” Shivakumar said, replying to a question from Aravind Limbavali of BJP in the Legislative Assembly. The minister denied reports of unscheduled load-shedding in the state.
Raising the issue earlier, Limbavali said frequent power cuts is a norm in his Mahadevapura constituency and took exception to Shivakumar’s claims that there is no load-shedding in the state. However, Shivakumar attributed the frequent power outage in the constituency to ongoing repair and maintenance work and assured that a steady power supply will be ensured once the maintenance works are completed.
Later, the house also witnessed JD(S) members staging a dharna, demanding immediate tabling of the House Committee report on the alleged irregularities in purchase of machinery and equipment in Energy department.
Raising the issue, HD Revanna of JD(S) said irregularities to the tune of thousands of crores had been committed in purchase of equipment. The Speaker had constituted a House Committee headed by Energy Minister D K Shivakumar to prove the issue. Revanna questioned the delay in submitting the report even two years after the committee was constituted.
Hitting back at JD(S) members, Shivakumar said former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who is also a member of the committee, has not bothered to attend the meetings of the committee. Even BJP members of the committee have not conveyed their views. “How can I complete the report without their participation?,” Shivakumar asked.
The JD(S) members withdrew their dharna after Shivakumar assured that he would submit the probe report by April 15.