Ensure uninterrupted power to save farm, industry sectors: Naidu

Mangalagiri: TDP national president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday urged Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma to initiate immediate steps to rescue industrial, agriculture and service sectors by ensuring quality and uninterrupted power supply.

Naidu stressed the need for addressing the severe problem of power cuts so as to protect the people's livelihoods and their standards of living.

In an open letter to the Chief Secretary here, the TDP chief said it was the duty of any government to give first priority to the power sector because of its key role in industrial development and State's economy.

But in the past three years, the AP power sector was totally crushed due to the thoughtless policies and lack of planning on the part of the State government. Naidu told the Chief Secretary that in 2014 after the State Reorganisation, there was a power deficit of 22.5 million units in AP. By implementing reforms and giving incentives, the State achieved surplus status by 2019.

By this time, the installed capacity was increased from 9,529 MW to 19,160 MW. Thus, AP became one of the three power surplus States in the country.

Chandrababu Naidu said that at that time, they have resolved not to increase current charges and also to ensure zero power cuts.

At the same time, agreements were signed with the solar, wind and such non-conventional energy companies for 25 years at lowest purchase rates in the country. The TDP regime made plans for increasing power generation to meet the demand up to 2024 but the YSRCP rule failed to enhance production.

The TDP chief blamed the State government's corruption, vendetta and negligence for the increased current charges and severe power cuts as of now. The PPAs with solar and wind companies were cancelled thoughtlessly. Thousands of crores of payments were not made to power and coal companies. As there were no reserves in power exchange, the State had to buy at very high rates.

Naidu strongly objected to the government showing interest to buy high priced power from other States but not increasing generation capacity within AP. The State government's negligence was responsible for lack of enough coal reserves. It failed to keep coal reserves enough for 45 days.

The Centre said it stopped coal supplies due to non-payment of dues.

The TDP chief said prawn and fish farmers were incurring heavy losses due to lack of current supply and non-functioning of oxygen motors. Farmers had to spend lakhs of rupees on diesel in order to run motors to save prawn and fish. Experts said over 10 lakh people would lose livelihood directly or indirectly due to power cuts. The MSME units were badly hit due to erratic power.

Emergency hospital services were suffering setbacks because of power cuts. Three children died at Kadapa RIMS Hospitals within two days because of lack of power supply. The government hospitals had no money even to buy diesel to run generators, the TDP chief pointed out.