Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has asked the power utilities to gear up for new challenges from New Year 2018. The Chief Minister also announced total waiver of power dues of Scheduled Tribes households amounting to Rs 70 crore. Addressing a meeting of power officials at Pragati Bhavan on Saturday, Mr Chandrasekhar Rao said that the Telangana state government’s ambitious programmes of Mission Bhagiratha, lift irrigation, and 24x7 free power for agriculture will begin in 2018 and the state needs an additional 12,000 MW to meet the demand.
Mr Chandrasekhar Rao admitted that power utilities will be under huge pressure, especially in summer when demand peaks. But he said that in the past three years, the power utilities have worked efficiently and so the government has been able to do away with power cuts and has earned a good reputation. “New lift irrigation schemes are coming up on the Godavari. Projects like Dindi, Palamuru-Rangareddy are coming up on the Krishna river. This apart, power supply is also required for 1,300 pump-sets for Mission Bhagiratha. There will be an additional demand for up to 12,000 MW. For this power should be procured and distribution and supply network should be strengthened,” the Chief Minister said.
“We have to provide uninterrupted power for 23 lakh pump-sets from January 1, 2018. There are unauthorised pump-sets too. There will be more demand for pump-sets during the summer. It is very important for the government to supply 24-hour power supply,” Mr Chandrasekhar Rao said. He asked officials to divide power supply into five categories: agriculture, lift irrigation-Mission Bhagiratha, commercial, domestic and industrial. “Treat these categories individually and prepare estimates on how much will be the demand for each category,” Mr Chandrasekhar Rao suggested.
“Several economists felt that it was not good to give more subsidy for power to the farming sector. But I did not agree. To give 24-hour free power supply to the farm sector, the subsidy burden will increase from Rs 4,777 crore to Rs 5,400 crore per year. If need be, we are ready to give another Rs 500 crore. The government is also bearing Rs 10,000 crore required for the lift irrigation schemes. With the subsidies given to the farmers, agricultural produce worth lakhs of crores will be generated. This will change the farmer’s situation and which will also help the GDP,” the Chief Minister said.
