Gujarat unable to provide power to state

The Gujarat government is unable to provide power to Karnataka, reeling from power shortage, in the wake of non-availability of power transmission arrangements between the two states, Gujarat minister of state for finance Saurabhbhai Patel said today.

Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa had recently requested his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi for 250 Mw on a short term basis, Patel told reporters here.

“Gujarat is a power surplus state. We sell about 600 Mw of power to other states. My state is ready to give power to Karnataka through the Power Trading Corporation. But, unfortunately we are unable to do so as transmission arrangement is not place,” he said.

Karnataka is reeling from acute power shortages and unscheduled loadshedding for a couple of hours has become a routine affair in the state including in Bangalore, its IT hub.

The day temperature in Bangalore has crossed 37 degree Celsius this summer and in parts of North Karnataka, it is in the range of 42 to 43 degree Celsius.

Patel said Gujarat has requested the Centre to put in place the transmission corridor so that surplus power can be supplied to states facing energy crisis at the upcoming meeting of state power ministers to be held in Delhi on April 28.