Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today said the State’s power sector will be thoroughly streamlined and power generation increased to provide 24x7 supply to households, industries and nine hours to the farm sector.
Releasing a white paper on the power sector, first in a series of six planned in different sectors, including finance, Naidu said the focus of his government would be to reap the benefits of the power sector reforms he had initiated in the late ’90s by unbundling the monolith power utility in the unified State.
He said that AP will soon come out with a policy to encourage renewable energy sector, with emphasis on solar and wind power generation.
During his recent interactions with the Centre, he had taken up the issue of development of the renewable energy sector wherein a capacity of about 500 MW would be added, with the Centre providing necessary support.
Pilot States The Centre has decided to take up AP and Rajasthan as pilot model States in the power sector wherein there will be 24x7 hour power supply to the households. In doing so, the State would be able to ensure quality power supply to all sections, he explained.
When asked about the alleged overdrawal of power by AP causing shortage in Telangana and impacting the grid, he said that the power was being allocated based on power purchase agreements and that there was no violation.
Naidu said that as a party which has 23 per cent vote share even in Telangana, TDP was interested in the welfare of both the States but others have liberty to say what they want.
Capacity addition He said the State is in the process of fresh capacity addition in AP Genco and private sector projects such as that of Hindujas and its benefits would accrue during the year. Arrangements for transport of coal using NTPC network have been made for Hinduja project, he said.
Naidu said old irrigation pump sets would be replaced with new energy-efficient ones to bring about energy savings.
Referring to additional power purchases, he said arrangements have been made with NTPC Jhajjar and the process is under way with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. However, there is limitation for power evacuation due to grid constraints.