TS Joins 'UDAY' To End Power Crisis: KCR

Hyderabad: Stating that the State government was committed to provide quality, quantity and reliable power to all the category of consumers in the State, CM KCR on Wednesday informed the Assembly that his government, along with two power distribution companies signed an MoU with the Union Government at New Delhi to join the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) Scheme to tide over power crisis. He also said his government had initiated several measures in this regard.

Making a statement in House, the Chief Minister said when the TRS government took over on June 2, 2014, the State was reeling under frequent power-cuts with a shortage of 2700 MW peak demand, four to eight hour load relief to the domestic and other customers and a two-day power holidays to the industries. The two Discoms were having a long-term debt of Rs 11,897 crore  (TSSPDCL – Rs 7,392 crore and TSNPDCL Rs 4,505 crore) as on September 30, 2015 and virtually in the debt trap.

KCR said due to the neglect of Telangana region in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh government, there was neither proper planning nor forecast of the demand. There were several agitations over irregular power supply, especially to the farming sector, he said. He also recalled there was even police firing in Basheerbagh on August 28, 2000 resulting in the death of two farmers, who were agitating against irregular power supply and increased power tariff.

At the time of inception of the State, the installed capacity of the State was 5863 MW. The State government had initiated short, medium and long-term measures to overcome the chronic power problem. The power utilities took a number of measures like reduction of T&D losses from 16.83% to 15.98%; Staggering of loads to 24 hours of the day; increase in generation by TSGENCO plants; entering into short-term power purchase agreements and purchase from exchange, he added.

KCR said 600MW Kakatiya Thermal Power Plant, 1200 MW Singareni Thermal Power Plant, 840 MW of Thermal Power Tech, 550 MW of CGS, 240 MW Jurala Hydro Power Project, 30 MW of Pulichintala HES, 1080 MW of Solar Power and 99 MW Wind Power totaling 5039 MW was connected to the grid, he said, adding that the State has met the peak power demand of 8284 MW on September 9, 2016 with short-term power purchases. The two-day power holiday imposed earlier on industrial consumers are lifted and 24-hour power supply was ensured to the industries.