Farm sector will get 24-hour power supply from today: CM

The Telangana State Government has decided to supply 24-hour quality and uninterrupted power on an experimental basis in the entire state to agriculture from Monday on wards.

Already 24-hour quality power is being supplied on an experimental basis in the old three districts. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has ordered that all the districts should get free and quality power 24-hours for agriculture from march-April 2018 and accordingly the Electricity organisations have been making arrangements in this regard for the past one year. Now these arrangements have come to the final stages. Measures are ready to give 24-hour power supply to the farm sector from March-April 2018.

For the supply of free and quality power to farmers, the Chief Minister held a discussion with TS Genco CMD D Prabhakar Rao on Sunday. He instructed that all the arrangements for distribution and supply systems should be in place for 24-hour power to farmers by March-April 2018. CMD Prabhakar Rao said that on an experimental basis 24-hour power supply would be given from Monday night for 5 or 6 days all over the state for the farm sector. The CMD suggested that based on the feedback after supplying the 24-hour power, follow up actions will be taken. For this the CM gave his consent.

After having discussion with the CM, Prabhakar Rao held discussions with Transco JMD Sri Srinivas Rao, SPDCL CMD Raghuma Reddy, NPDCL CMD Gopal Rao, Transco Directors Narsing Rao and Jagathreddy. The CMD said from Monday onwards in all the districts, under all the sub stations and for all the pump sets power should be supplied for 24-hours. He wanted estimates should be done and feedback should be monitored in al the districts, all sub stations, divisions, transformers wise and every minute should be monitored for the next five to six days. A review will be taken up after five or six days and make arrangements for the supply of 24-hour quality power on a permanent basis.

In response to the orders given by the government, the entire staff and employees of the Electricity Institutions have become busy in supplying 24-hour power supply.

24-Hour power supply a new record

Though there are some states along with the Telangana state are giving free power to the agriculture, nowhere in the country the power is supplied for 24-hours uninterruptedly. Hence Telangana State is setting up another record of supplying free, qualitative uninterrupted power for the farm sector. Before the formation of Telangana State, farmers were never given proper power supply. After the formation of the State, the government has ensured 9-hour power supply to the farm sector. But the Chief Minister has ordered that 24-hour power supply should be given to the farmers. Accordingly, Transco, Genco, SPDCL, NPDCL have made arrangements. Rs 12,000 Crore was spent to strengthen the distribution and supply systems.

From the last June 17 in the old Medak district jurisdiction, from June 18 Old Karimnagar and Nalgonda districts jurisdiction 24-hour power supply is given on an experimental basis. There are 23 Lakh pump sets in the state of which 9.58 Lakh in these three districts. They constitute 43 percent of the total pump sets and 24 hour power is successfully supplied to these pump sets. For this there is a maximum demand of 9, 500 MW of power but yet the power was procured and supplied. To supply 24-hour power to more than 23 lakh pump sets additionally, there will be a demand for an additional 1500-2000 MWs, but yet the electricity organisations have made arrangements for the supply of power. An assessment will be made after supplying 24-hour power to the farm sector and based on the feedback, measures will be taken up.

The employees and officials of the Electricity institutions are working with dedication to give 24-hour power supply, which will also become a feather in their Cap.

Arrangements made at a cost of Rs 12000 Crores

The officials who have estimated the demand arising out of giving free 24-hour power supply to the pump sets in the state have made adequate arrangements at a cost of Rs 12,000 Crore and strengthened the network.

Before June 2, 2014, there were six 400 KV Sub stations to supply 5240 MW of power in the region. The Electricity department has estimated that to supply 24-hour power to farm and other sectors, 400 KV Sub stations are needed to supply 13,000 MWs and it started construction of 9 Sub Stations. So far it has completed five 400 KV Sub stations in Suryapet, Narsapur, Asupaka, Dindi, Maheswaram with 3980 MW capacity. Construction work is going on for four 400 KV Sub stations at Julurupadu, Nirmal, Kethireddy Pally, Jangaon with3705 MW capacity.

The electricity organisations have made arrangements for 15, 400 KV Substations keeping in view the future needs. Besides the 400 KV Sub stations, 19 new 220 KV Sub stations and 35 132 KV Sub stations are also set up. Before the formation of the State, there were 233 EHT line capacity sub stations and now 292 Sub stations came in use. 33/11 KV sub stations were also constructed in hundreds. Besides the sub stations, 2695.25 kms length 400 KV lines, 6,900 kms for 220 KV lines, 10,321 KMs of 132 KV lines were set up. Before Telangana state, there were 16, 379 KMs length of lines and now there are 19,916 Kms of lines. Moreover, new 33/11KV lines were set up for 15,000 Kms. There were 3,748 Transformers before the State’s formation and after the state’s formation 1, 724 were added making the total 5,472. Thousands of new transformers were placed to overcome the low voltage problems.

24-hour power supply is my dream: KCR

“Telangana farmers have suffered a lot under the united AP regime for the lack of power supply. They were not getting even 3 to 4 hours of supply. Though major part cultivation in Telangana region was dependent on the borewells, the then government has neglected it. The day I became the CM I have decided to change this situation and had discussions with the electricity officials. Accordingly the electricity officials and employees have worked had and made the arrangements. Now we are able to give 24-hour power supply. For three districts we are giving 24-hour supply. It is my dream to supply 24-hour power to the farmers. I congratulate all the officials and employees of the electricity organisations for making this dream a reality. The 24-hour power supply will be of a great benefit the farmers can get golden crop. If Telangana is prospered then achieving Telangana state will become meaningful. The 24-hour supply planned from Monday will be successful. You have the blessing of people in Telangana state and grace of the God,” the CM told the CMD.

“We have made all arrangements to give 24-hour free, qualitative and uninterrupted power to the farm sector as directed by the CM. We have built Sub stations on a fast track, laid new lines, supply and distribution system is strengthened and new transformers are arranged. We are procuring additional power to meet the 24-hour power supply demand. We have increased the generation at the plants. By next year plants at Manuguru and Kothagudem start generating. We have improved the institutional efficiency in the areas of line losses. We are confident that like the 24-hour power supply given to the three district, in the rest of the state also we will succeed. The government is solidly behind the electricity organisations and its employees. We are proud to strengthen the electricity system for the welfare of farmers with the support from the government and dedicated work from the employees. We are also happy that as expected and desired by the CM that the state Public Sector Originations run by its employees will give better results, we are living up to it,” Prabhakar Rao said.