HYDERABAD: The Energy department is focusing on providing qualitative power to both farm and aqua sectors and uninterrupted power supply to domestic consumers.
Taking stock of various works taken up for supply of power to farm sector for 9 hours during day time, Minister for Energy Balineni Srinivas Reddy, in a teleconference with officials on Sunday, said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has categorically stated that the state government was strongly committed to empower power sector to empower people.
The government is giving utmost priority for effective implementation of Navaratnalu in power sector, given the fact that 40 lakh families stand to benefit with new reforms being implemented in the power sector.
The minister said like nowhere in the country, the state government was implementing 9-hour free power supply to farm sector during day time, free power to SC, ST families and power to aqua farmers at cheaper rate.
He said the government has laid special focus on effective implementation of welfare and moots a special mechanism at division, district and DISCOM level to ensure 100 per cent success of the three prestigious welfare schemes in power sector in coordination with agriculture, social welfare and fisheries departments to develop a better coordination at various levels without scope of any shortcomings in implementation.
According to the minister, the 9-hour day time free power supply would benefit 18.15 lakh farmers for which the government allocated Rs 4,525 crore.
“The free power to irrigation pumps could enhance farm production and undoubtedly helps empower the farming community in the state,” he said.
Similarly, aqua farmers would get power at just Rs 1.50/unit as against Rs 3.85/- per unit which benefits 53,649 families, he added.
For the first time, the state government has extended free power up to 200 units for around 20 lakh SC, ST families with additional expenditure of Rs 128 crore for which total expenditure of the government will be around Rs 413 crore.
The free power scheme would also be applicable to new SC, ST colonies.
Secretary (Energy) Srikant Nagulapalli said the government was determined to provide quality power supply to the total 1.8 crore consumers in the state for which a special mechanism has to be worked out and accordingly action plan will be prepared and submitted to the government.
“This kind of arrangement may help fix responsibility and accountability at all levels and plug loopholes, if any,” he said.
9-hour power supply
The 9-hour daytime free power supply would benefit 18.15 lakh farmers for which the government allocated Rs 4,525 crore. “The free power to irrigation pumps could enhance farm production,” Balineni said.