Power-hit units demand stop to new units

A suggestion not to entertain new industrial units in Mysore because of the lack of infrastructure and more so because of the acute power shortage affecting the existing ones has been voiced at a meeting of the Mysore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI).

The suggestion came at a meeting convened recently to discuss issues affecting industries and, in particular power related problems.

Members suggested staggered power supply, insurance coverage for the loss incurred due to inadequate power supply, and reimbursement of bank interest. Another suggestion that came forth was to obtain expert opinion on the scope for filing a public interest litigation against the power supplier, Chamundeswari Electricity Supply Company (CESC), for its inability to maintain proper and adequate power supply.

The meeting decided to constitute an experts committee for identifying units which are generating power and have excess capacity that can be sold to the SMEs, plan for smooth running of industries with limited power supply, and demand simplification of rules and procedures for private participation in power generation, said MCCI president R Krishna today.

CESC Superintending Engineer (E) B Vairamudi who attended the meeting ruled out power supply for residents and industries separately for lack of separate feeders.

On the possibility of supplying uninterrupted power for five days and not supplying for the remaining two days for industries, he said this suggestion had been discussed and found impractical due to technical problems like a sudden failure of thermal plants, grid problems and feeder facility.

On the current power position, he said there were power cuts for four hours a day for industries and two hours for residential areas. Power cut had been reduced for residential areas in view of the approaching examinations. Earlier, there was a uniform four-hour power shutdown.

There was shortage of 50 megawatts between demand and supply. The state government was planning to purchase power from private parties to reduce the four-hour power cut.

CESC had also a plan for introducing computerisation in co-ordination with the National Institute of Engineering and the district revenue authorities headed by the deputy commissioner to balance uniform power supply in all the areas, the superintending engineer said.

Krishna recalled that a similar situation was faced last year too, but after leading a delegation to the CESC managing director power supply was streamlined for all industries in Mysore.

Mohammed T Vaugh of Pyramid Timber Associates said because of the unscheduled power cuts his industry had come to depend on generators and this had pushed up his costs and had also hit production.

Complaining that unscheduled power cuts had brought about a loss in production, industrialist Puttaraju P Gowda insisted on the CESC to give a letter so that he could claim insurance for the loss.

The members urged the chamber to represent the various issues affecting industries in Mysore and in particular the power-related problems strongly with the government so that they were addressed effectively.