Plan to turn ryots into energy producers

Eluru: Principal Secretary to Department of Energy Ajay Jain said that a comprehensive plan is being formulated to generate an additional income to the farmers in the state by turning them into power producers. 

He was the chief guest at a workshop on ‘Energy conservation’ at the Collectorate here on Tuesday. Speaking at a meeting, the Principal Secretary said that as a part of the plan, it was decided to provide solar power pump sets to the farmers in the state.

The farmers can utilise the generated solar power for their cultivation and surplus power would be purchased by the Power Distribution Companies (Discoms), he explained. As the Discoms buying power, the farmer would get an additional income ranging from Rs 7,000 to 10,000 per annum, he elaborated.  

He stated that during the natural calamities like floods and cyclones, if the farmer incurs crop loss, the DISCOM would purchase solar power from the farmer until he starts his next crop cultivation besides providing insurance and other facilities by the government.  

This will give Rs 15,000 additional income per annum to the farmer. He said that each solar pump set costs Rs 40,000 and it would be supplied by the government. He said that the farmers capacity could be enhanced to a power producer and the Government would pay Rs 2 per unit. 

He said that Andhra Pradesh stood in first place in supplying qualitative power.  He announced that with the efforts of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the state had acquired surplus power within six months by recouping from the power shortage from 2014. He said that in 2014, 8,307 megavolts power was produced, and this reached 18,038 megavolts by 2018.  

He said compared to other states, Andhra Pradesh has saved 24.5 per cent energy sources. Andhra Pradesh stood in first place in the rankings awarded by the World Bank on proper usage of energy sources. He also said that third time, Andhra Pradesh has bagged the National Energy Saving Award.

The District Collector called upon the people to save energy. APEPDCL CMD HY Dora said that women should play a vital role in taking up the energy saving programme among the masses.  He said that as part of UJALA Project, 2.17 crore LED bulbs been supplied for Rs 10 each to the people as part of power saving methods. 

He also said that the EPDCL distributed 20 colts capacity tubelights to the consumers for Rs 220 and so far 1.40 Lakh LED tubelights have been supplied.  

APEDCL Chief Executive Officer Chandra Sekhar Reddy, Director B Sesh Kumar, Energy Adviser to Principal Secretary K Ranganatham, MEPMPA Project Director R Ravi Kumar, Eluru Municipal Corporation Commissioner A Mohan Rao participated in the meeting. Energy Principal Secretary Ajay Jain and Collector K Bhaskar released the brochure on power saving methods.