HYDERABAD: The power utility is preparing to provide nine-hour power supply to agricultural fields.
Energy minister G Jagadish Reddy held a meeting with officials here on Monday to review the preparedness of the power utility to supply power for nine hours a day for agriculture from this Kharif season. The minister asked the officials to submit proposals for sanctioning new agricultural power connections within a month.
The officials told him that they planned to install 33/11 kv substations at 365 places for providing nine-hour power supply and completed the work on 300 substations.
The capacity of transformers was increased at 353 places and additional transformers were provided at 334 places.
They said there were 20,34,091 agricultural power connections in the state and they set up 283 numbers of 33/11 kv substations at a cost of `437 crore. In addition, `1,408 crore was spent on laying 33 kv and ll kv low-tension power lines and new DTR.
The minister asked the officials to replace burnt substations immediately. He warned that if any official colluded with the contractor and compromised on the quality of the construction of substations, the government would not spare them.
Jagadish Reddy also called for repair of all substations, electric poles and lines which were damaged in the recent rains and gales across the state.