APTransco is investing Rs 3,000 crore this year on setting up 60 new high tension sub-stations in the State, 14 of them in the five coastal districts (Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, and the two Godavari districts) under the purview of the AP Eastern Power Distribution Company, according to Mr Ajay Jain, the Chairman and Managing Director.

Mr Jain was talking to presspersons here on Thursday after reviewing the power situation in five districts with Transco and APEPDCL officials. He said that in the next four years, 170 such sub-stations would be established in the State at a cost of nearly Rs 6,000 crore to improve transmission and distribution system.

“At present we are supplying 12,000 MWs but by 2015 it is likely to rise to 18,000 MWs. Correspondingly, we are adding to our power transmission and distribution capacity,” he said and added that supply of quality power to agricultural, industrial and domestic sectors was the prime objective.

He said the power situation in the State was much better this summer and only for a fortnight or so there was some load-shedding. “We are in a much better position in comparison with many other states. Our power deficit is only 3 per cent against the average of 5.2 per cent in the southern states and 8.5 per cent in the country. In Tamil Nadu, it is 6.5 per cent, in Karnataka 7.6 per cent and in Uttar Pradesh 15 per cent,” he said.

Transco was in a position to supply seven hours to the agricultural sector as promised by the Government, he added. There was no problem during the rabi and in the coming kharif season too. Power supply to agriculture would not pose any problems, he said. Of the total power consumed in the State, agriculture accounted for 30 per cent. There were 30 lakh energised agricultural pumpsets in the State and the State Government had set the target of 1,50,000 new farm connections for 2010-11. Transco had given 1,30,000 new connections so far and the rest would be provided soon, he added.

He said the T&D losses amounted to 17.5 per cent in the State and efforts were on to reduce it to 16 per cent during the current year. Against the national average, it was much better, he said.

He said Visakhapatnam region was of great importance as many new industries were coming up in the area. “We are setting up many new sub-stations in the region. A 400-kV sub-station is also being planned. New industries in the area, or the existing ones, will face no problems of power supply,” he said.

Mr Ahmad Nadeem, the CMD of APEPDCL, said 54 new (33 kV) sub-stations would be set up in the five coastal districts during the current year at a cost of Rs 62 crore. A project to set up separate feeders for farm connections was taken up in one mandal each in the five circles at a cost of Rs 21.04 crore.

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