Mysuru, 27 September

Energy Minister KJ George on Sunday ruled out load shedding in Karnataka, saying the government was managing a shortage of around 1,000 MW by procuring power from other states.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, George said the shortage had persisted for nearly seven months and was not unique to Karnataka; even when the state was ready to buy power, adequate quantities weren't always available nationally.

Steps had been taken to boost production and ease outages, he said, after unscheduled load shedding hit parts of the state in recent days. The government would ensure uninterrupted power for Mysuru Dasara festivities and for domestic, industrial and farm pump set use, he added, noting that any decision on load shedding would be taken only after consulting Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Flagging drought and a looming shortage of drinking water and electricity, the CM had earlier said people should be "mentally prepared," citing declining rainfall even as he urged MLAs not to panic or let parties exploit the situation politically.

"People should be mentally prepared. Arrangements are being made for drinking water supply," he said.

He said the state was preparing an accurate drought report ahead of the Centre's assessment, with studies completed in some areas. 

George also said Karnataka has granted tourism the status of both an infrastructure sector and an industry to draw investment.