AP Assures 7 Hour Power To Farm Sector For Rabi

Keeping in view the projected higher demand for power during the Rabi season and to protect the interests of the farming sector, the power utilities of Andhra Pradesh have fully geared up to provide at least seven hours of quality power to the agriculture sector.

A special mechanism had been adopted to ensure that not even a single acre of crop withered away due to short supply of power, said Energy Secretary Ajay Jain during a teleconference with the CMD of APTRANSCO and MD of GENCO.

He said that there would be no compromise on the seven-hour power supply rule for the farm sector, and issued clear instructions to the DISCOM officials to take all possible steps to replace any failed Distribution Transformers (DTRs) within the stipulated time - i. e. 24 hours - in the rural areas, too.

"Equal priority will be given to both the industrial and the agricultural sectors, which are the backbones of the economy of the State, in quality of power supplied. That's why a special program is being contemplated to involve all the 14.5 lakh consumers of the agricultural sector in achieving the target of the government in energy efficiency / conservation to save 35% power through short term and long term Demand Side Management (DSM) measures," Jain said.

Jain stressed the need to replace any failed DTRs within the stipulated time and to not to burden the farming community by even a single rupee for the transportation of the DTRs. Field officials should maintain sufficient rolling stock (4%) for the timely replacement of any failed DTRs, and conduct substation-level meetings duly involving the farmers and the local public representatives for getting feedback on the power supply during the Rabi season.

K Vijayanand, MD/APGENCO & CMD/APTRANSCO (FAC), said that the DISCOM officials had been directed to go for frequent field inspections for first-hand information on the supply position & spot redressal of consumer grievances.

The DISCOMs are set to implement vigorously the HVDS (High Voltage Distribution System) on agricultural services in seven districts (Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Anatapur, Kurnool, Kadapa & Chittoor) under Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funding to ensure quality power supply to the farming sector & reduction in Transmission & Distribution (T&D) losses.

Utilities are taking all possible steps such as running the power plants at the optimal levels, maintaining adequate coal stocks, and procuring of additional power from outside for providing satisfactory power supply during this Rabi season, Vijayanand said. (INN)