With the implementation of the Bidadi project, Bangalore will have an exclusive power plant to address its power woes by 2014.
The state cabinet on Thursday cleared the setting up of a 700 MW liquid natural gas (LNG) power plant in Bidadi with an investment of Rs3,700 crore.
With the implementation of the project, Bangalore will have an exclusive power plant to address its power woes by 2014.
The decision to set up the plant was taken keeping in mind the ever-growing demand for power in the city. On an average, the state has a daily demand of 140 million units. Of this, 53% is from Bangalore alone.
The state initially planned to set up a 1,400 MW combined cycle thermal power plant. But that was abandoned as the Bangalore-Dhabol gas pipeline project is expected to be completed by 2014.
“The work (on the LNG plant) will begin shortly. The Karnataka Power Corporation Limited will set up the plant and the state government will grant Rs480 crore annually to KPCL for spot purchase of gas,” said VS Acharya, minister for higher education and IT and BT, after the cabinet meeting.
BRTS proposal gets the nod
In another major decision, the state cabinet approved the introduction of Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in Bangalore, Mysore and Hubli-Dharwad.
In Bangalore, BRTS would be developed along the outer ring road for 30 km from Hebbal Junction to Silk Board Junction at a cost of Rs550 crore. In Mysore, it will be developed for 160 km at a cost of Rs1,173 crore and in Hubli-Dharwad the project would be for 31 km.
“BRTS system is very popular in more than 100 countries. It has been well received in New Delhi and other cities too. We have decided to take up this ambitious plan. It is just like an expressway; there will be dedicated lanes for buses. It will save time and fuel, and we expect it to be ready in four years. It will also reduce traffic congestion,” said Acharya.
The project envisages the running of high-tech, low-floor buses in large numbers to motivate people to shun private vehicles and use public transport.
The 30-km stretch of the ring road from Hebbal to Silk Board, earmarked for the project, has 17 junctions which are to be modified to accommodate dedicated bus lanes to offer unhindered movement.
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