Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal Reviews Karnataka’s Power Sector, Urges Financial Reforms and Faster Smart Meter Rollout

 New Delhi , 23 May 2025 : Union Minister of Power, Shri Manohar Lal, conducted a comprehensive review of the power sector in the State of Karnataka today in Bengaluru. The review meeting was attended by Shri Shripad Naik, Union Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy; Shri K. J. George, Minister of Energy, Karnataka; and senior officials from the Government of India, the State Government, and REC Ltd.

During the meeting, the State Government made a detailed presentation on the current status of power generation, transmission, and distribution in Karnataka. Issues such as the generation mix, challenges in Right of Way (RoW) for transmission infrastructure, and the need for support in improving distribution infrastructure were discussed.

Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal congratulated the State for its increasing share of renewable energy in the power mix. He emphasized that the visit aimed to gain a better understanding of ground-level issues and explore new initiatives to strengthen power supply in the State.

The Minister urged the State to take steps to reduce annual financial losses of its power utilities and work towards implementing cost-reflective tariffs. He underlined the importance of timely clearance of dues and subsidies related to Government departments and advised the State to ensure full implementation of prepaid smart meters across all Government establishments, including local bodies and colonies, by August 2025. He also emphasized the need for a centralized payment mechanism for efficient management of Government electricity dues.

Shri Manohar Lal further directed the State to expedite the rollout of smart metering for commercial, industrial, and other consumer categories in a time-bound manner. He advised early resolution of RoW issues impeding transmission infrastructure and called for the adoption of the compensation mechanism issued by the Government of India.

The Minister assured continued support from the Government of India for strengthening the power sector in Karnataka and reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to the welfare and development of the State and its people.