• Mysuru city also to get about 100 Electric Vehicle charging points
• Energy Minister asks CESC to chalk out 100-day programme

Mysore/Mysuru: Giving a strong push to electric mobility by establishing public charging stations all along the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway and also at many places inside Mysuru city, Energy Minister V. Sunil Kumar asked officers of Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) to identify spots on a priority basis. 

“More and more people are switching to Electric Vehicles (EVs) and a brand-new 10-lane Expressway is being built between Mysuru and Bengaluru. Having just one or two charging stations and being ignorant towards the growing trend is not fair,” he told CESC officers at a review meeting of the Department held at Government Guest House here this morning. 

Sunil Kumar, who arrived in Mysuru last evening for the first time after being sworn-in as Minister in Bommai Cabinet, visited Chamundi Hill temple today before holding the meeting.

“Prepare an action plan for 100 days and identify at least 100 to 200 spots within Mysuru and along the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway to set up charging points. Electronic Vehicles (EVs)  are the future and many people are switching over. We need the infrastructure. Currently, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company has installed more than 130 charging units at 70 locations in Bengaluru. Follow their model and act,” Minister Sunil Kumar told officers. 

He said that factors like entry of new electric SUVs in the market, soaring fuel prices, environmental awareness and vehicle scrappage policy recently launched by the Centre are likely to encourage more people to shift to EV. 

On the Ganga Kalyana Project, the Minister directed the officers to look into scores of complaints from people where power is not supplied within 30 days. “These are farmer-friendly projects and they have been sanctioned by the Government, Boards and Corporations. CESC must supply power within the deadline,” he said. 

 106-km Dasara illumination

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha, who was also part of the meeting, urged the Minister to direct CESC to illuminate 106 km around Mysuru for Dasara 2021. “The COVID pandemic has crippled business in the tourist city of Mysuru and if the illumination is extended up to 106 km instead of the present 35 km coverage, it will attract more tourists and will in-turn help the tourism and hospitality industries recover from losses,” Simha reasoned. 

Consenting to the MP’s proposal, Sunil Kumar asked the officers to prepare a report and place it before the Government for approval. The MP also urged the Minister to direct the officers to supply power to mega water supply projects at Melapura and Bidaragudu that supplies drinking water from Cauvery and Kabini rivers. 

Before attending the meeting, the Minister said that there were no plans to privatise CESC and other electricity supply companies. On Ganesha festival, he said, “The Government has prohibited public celebration of any festival. The Government is duty bound to manage COVID and it is framing rules as per the needs. But public co-operation is also important,” he said. 

The Minister was silent though when reporters asked about thousands of people gathering during the Ashirwad Yatras carried out by the Union Ministers of Karnataka. CESC Managing Director Jayavibhavaswamy, Chief Finance Officer Ramesh Kumar, Chief Engineer V. Prakash, General Manager (Purchase) Munigopalaraju and other officers were present at the meeting.