A Solar Surge for Karnataka's Farmers: State Boosts KUSUM Scheme

Energy Minister KJ George, speaking in Gadag, announced that the Karnataka government will work closely with state-run electricity companies to guarantee at least seven hours of uninterrupted daytime power supply for agricultural pumpsets across the state.

He emphasized the government's focus on the KUSUM-B and KUSUM-C schemes to promote solar-powered irrigation:

Under KUSUM-B, pumpsets located over 500 metres from the power grid will be converted to solar power, with the state subsidy increased from 30% to 50%.

Under KUSUM-C, the solarization of agricultural feeders is underway to support reliable daytime power.

To enhance access, a "swift connection scheme" has been launched to expedite electricity connections for eligible farmers.

Minister George noted that Karnataka experienced just one month of power shortage under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, which was mitigated by purchasing power from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

Additional initiatives include:

Construction of 100 new substations, Energy storage from renewable sources, Establishment of transformer banks

Recruitment of 3,000 powermen to support grid resilience and service delivery

These efforts aim to strengthen rural power infrastructure and advance the state’s renewable energy goals.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.