MP urges Centre to allocate more power to AP

Warangal: Rajya Sabha member Gundu Sudharani has appealed to the Union Government to come to the rescue of Andhra Pradesh by allocating sufficient power from southern and other electricity grids. Raising the issue of power cuts in the House on Friday she stated that the state has been reeling under grave and serious power crisis and hence support from the Centre was a must. Referring to a statement by the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy that the power crisis situation would continue for another six months, the MP said "AP is now facing unprecedented power crisis in its history". "It is examination time and children are forced to prepare with the help of candles and kerosene lamps. There is no power for farmers, industries, domestic users and others also" she noted. Six gas-based power plants have stopped production as Reliance refused to supply gas to these plants from KG Basin. As a result, 700 MW of production was stopped. State Government has set up plants to produce 2,800 MW of power thinking that it would get gas from KG Basin. But, no gas was being given to the state, Sudharani explained. The daily demand of power in the state is 303 million units, but AP is generating only 240 million units making a deficit of nearly 60 million units per day. Secondly, the demand, when compared to last year, has gone up by nearly 11 percent, she added. She also objected Rs. 903 crores surcharge being imposed on the people of the State as surcharge and a fresh surcharge of Rs. 920 crores in the name of fuel adjustment between September, 2012 and December, 2012.