VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has said there should be no shortage of electricity during the summer season and power cuts should be avoided.
Jagan Mohan Reddy asked the officials on Friday to take all necessary steps for hassle-free power supply during the summer months. “Officials must take due care to ensure there are enough of coal reserves. There should be no shortage of coal for the thermal plants,” he said at a review meeting on the Energy Department here on Friday.
The Chief Minister said there must be no power cuts and no interruptions in the functioning of thermal power stations.
Officials reported to the CM that AP has been experiencing demand for more power from the second week of this month. As per the present estimates, the power consumption may rise to 240 and 250 million units daily, on an average, in March and April respectively.
They said they are intimating the Power Exchange India in advance about the estimated demand for electricity in the coming months. The CM said they must take foolproof steps to avoid power outages in the summer.
The CM enquired with them about the pending agricultural power connections. Officials replied that they are strictly implementing his order to provide agricultural connections in the same month of receiving the applications. There should be no delay in sanctioning agricultural connections, the CM stressed.
Some 1.06 lakh agricultural power connections have already been provided the present fiscal, officials informed the CM, adding that another 20,000 connections would be given by March-end. Quality electricity was being supplied to consumers as per the CM’s instructions and 100 new substations would start functioning by March-end, they said.
So far 2.18 lakh power connections were given to houses being constructed for the poor across the state. More connections would be given when more houses are ready, they said.
Energy, mines and geology minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, Chief Secretary Dr K.S. Jawahar Reddy, special CS (energy) K. Vijayanand, Special CS (Industries and Commerce) R. Karikal Valaven, APtransco JMDs Pridhvi Tej and Malla Reddy, CPDCL CMD Padma Janardhan Reddy and NREDCAP MD S. Ramana Reddy were present.
