Parliament Question: Irregular Power Supply in Kolar District of Karnataka

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.6228 ANSWERED ON 02.04.2026 IRREGULAR POWER SUPPLY IN KOLAR DISTRICT OF KARNATAKA 6228. SHRI M MALLESH BABU: Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has received reports regarding erratic power supply and low voltage issues in the Kolar district causing frequent burnout of irrigation pump sets and significant crop losses and if so, the details thereof; (b) the current status of the feeder segregation work in Kolar under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) and the number of agricultural feeders that have been successfully separated from non-agricultural loads till date; (c) whether the Government has finalised a roadmap for transition of these separated agricultural feeders to solar power under the PM-KUSUM scheme, if so, the details thereof; (d) the technical and financial support available to farmers for upgrading their pumping infrastructure such as efficient pumps or motors to better handle voltage fluctuations; and (e) whether the Government plans to implement real-time, IT-enabled monitoring of agricultural feeders in water-stressed regions like Kolar to ensure accountability from the local DISCOMs regarding the duration and quality of power supply, if so, the details thereof? A N S W E R THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF POWER (SHRI SHRIPAD NAIK) (a): Electricity being a concurrent subject, supply and distribution of electricity to consumers is within the purview of the respective State Government/ distribution utility. Further, as per Rule (10) of the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020, the distribution licensee shall supply 24x7 power to all consumers. However, the Commission may specify lower hours of supply for some categories of consumers like agriculture. The Rules are applicable for all States and for all areas. As communicated by the State, the distribution utility has not received any report regarding erratic power supply or low-voltage issues leading to frequent burnout of irrigation pump sets or significant crop losses in Kolar district. Further, 7 hours of 3- phase power is being supplied to all the agricultural feeders in Kolar district. (b): As reported by the State, 291 feeders have been segregated under State scheme and through CAPEX works in Kolar district. The State of Karnataka has not participated under Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) for feeder segregation works. …………2.- 2 - (c) & (d): Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme aims to de-dieselize the farm sector and enhance the income of farmers. Under the scheme, Central Government subsidy is given for the installation of standalone solar pumps and for the solarization of existing grid-connected agricultural pumps. The scheme is demand-driven, and capacities are allocated based on the demand raised by the State and milestone achieved. The sanction and achievement of the State of Karnataka under the scheme is as below: Component-A (MW) Component-B (Nos.) Component-C (Nos.) Sanction Achievements Sanction Achievement Sanction Achievement pumps pumps 0 0 41,365 5,533 7,63,588 86,827 Further, as reported by the State, the required capacity of pumps or motors in Karnataka must be procured and installed by the IP set users themselves and such consumers have to mandatorily install energy efficient star rated pump sets. (e) : As reported by the State, a total of 5,216 feeders of BESCOM (Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd.) have been integrated with the National Feeder Monitoring System (NFMS), out of which 2,103 are agricultural feeders. The Distribution Control Centre of BESCOM continuously monitors all such 11 kV feeders and ensures that the duration and quality of power supply to agricultural consumers is maintained as per Government of Karnataka/KERC norms. **************