Sullia : Energy Minister V. Sunil Kumar said on Monday that Mangaluru Electricity Supply Company Ltd. (MESCOM) will get Rs.1,100 crore for upgrading power infrastructure under the Union Government’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). Of the grants, Rs. 290 crore will be spent in Dakshina Kannada, he said.

The Minister was addressing a gathering at Kukke Subrahmanya after inaugurating power infrastructure projects worth ₹15 crore set up up in Sullia and Kadaba taluks.

The RDSS aims at improving quality, reliability and affordability of power supply through financially strong and operationally efficient distribution systems, besides reducing energy loss.

The Minister said that the scheme allows for replacing old power supply lines, setting up more sub-stations and to take up other infrastructure projects needed to have efficient distribution systems.

Mr. Kumar said that 2,500 rural families have been identified for giving power connection under the Belaku scheme of the government in Dakshina Kannada. Of these families, 1,700 have been given power connection. The families need not produce no objection certificate from gram panchayats under this scheme. It is enough if they have Aadhaar card and ration card. The scheme is helping many rural families to have access to power supply. The Minister said that the government changed 20,000 electricity transformers within 24 hours of receiving complaints . These transformers needed repairs or were not functioning.

Mr. Kumar said that MESCOM should prepare a blueprint for laying underground power supply cables in Kukke Subrahmanya town. The government will release grants required for the purpose. There is a demand from elected representatives for laying underground cables in the town. It will be fullfilled, he said.

Among the projects inaugurated included laying a 33 kV underground power supply cable from Guthigar to Kukke Subrahmanya at an estimated cost of ₹7.80 crore. It will enable supplying quality power to 20,000 consumers in the area and also help save 6.69 lakh units of power in a year, a MESCOM release said.