Bengaluru: To trim expenditure, Karnataka Government is planning to install prepaid electricity meters in all Government Offices in the State, Energy Minister V. Sunil Kumar said yesterday.

Addressing press persons here, Sunil Kumar said “This is a preliminary thought. There are bill-related problems in Government Offices and the financial burden is increasing for us.” He said the Government is also thinking of installing recharge centres for electric vehicles in districts and tourist spots.

Power to rural households 

Sunil Kumar said that in a new programme all rural households devoid of electricity will be given connections in the next 100 days. He said “In the next 100 days, houses constructed in rural areas that have not been able to get power supply will be powered up.”

Known as Belaku, the programme will power up rural households without requiring a no-objection certificate from the local bodies, Kumar said adding “All houses will be given electricity supply.”

He said officials had been instructed to prepare an action plan for the work needed to be done over the next 100 days in both Energy and Kannada & Culture Departments.

Another programme that will be taken up on mission mode over 100 days is the setting up of more than 60 sub-stations through the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. “This will help provide uninterrupted power supply for seven hours to agricultural pumpsets, especially in North Karnataka,” he said.