Karnataka govt plans to recruit 3,000 linemen by April end, says Energy Minister George

Bidar (Karnataka) Jan 23 (PTI) Karnataka Energy Minister K J George on Thursday said the government plans to recruit 3,000 linemen by the end of April to address the state's current shortage of workers.

The move aims to strengthen the workforce and ensure a more reliable electricity supply throughout Karnataka, he said.

According to a release issued by the Energy Ministry, the minister held a review meeting of the energy department at the Bidar Zilla Panchayat Hall and emphasised the critical role of linemen in ensuring adequate electricity supply.

"The recruitment process for 3,000 linemen will be expedited and completed by April 2025," the minister promised those gathered.

He also emphasised the need for immediate action to repair transformers, particularly those supplying power to farmers, which may require repairs or replacements. He stressed the importance of officials responding quickly to electricity supply issues, including maintaining power lines.

"The department officials must engage with local representatives to discuss and resolve issues within their jurisdiction. If there are any problems related to electricity supply, they should bring these to the representatives' attention and address them accordingly," he instructed.

According to George, the state's current electricity demand ranges from 16,000 to 17,000 megawatts and assured that there will be no load shedding this year. He mentioned that the department is prepared to purchase additional electricity if demand increases during the summer.

During the meeting, Forest Minister Eshwar B Khandre, who oversees the Bidar district, said that compensation has yet to be provided to the families of nine individuals who lost their lives in an electrical accident in the district.

In response, George instructed the Energy Department officials to ensure the compensation was delivered within three days.

Bidar MP Sagar Ishwar Khandre highlighted that villagers from the Bhalki area have complained about delays in transformer replacements and vehicle transportation. To this, the Energy Minister directed the officials to complete the tasks promptly and without further delay.

Regarding the regularisation of illegal pump sets, George indicated that previously submitted applications would be processed soon and decisions will be made on new applications for regularisation.

According to him, in the Bidar district alone, 1,480 new applications have been submitted under the illegal regularisation scheme, which will be discussed and decided upon in an upcoming cabinet meeting.

Commenting on issues about land availability to set up 13 substations, the Energy Minister said if there are challenges related to land availability in the district, officials should immediately engage in discussions with local legislators and district commissioners. PTI JR KH