Andhra Pradesh - Nizamabad   

Seven-hour power to farm sector likely

Staff Reporter

Minister assures supply at a single spell

NIZAMABAD: Minister for Electricity and Minority Welfare Mohd. Ali Shabbir has said, in the current year the Government will try to give power supply to agriculture sector for seven hours at a single spell without cutting supply to industrial and domestic sectors.

For which, an estimated 4,399 million units of electricity costing Rs.2,832 crore is required. In other words, in days to come there may be demand for 2000 MW additional power generation. This is in addition to the subsidy being given to the farm sector.

At a press conference here on Tuesday, the Minister said the Chief Minister readily accepted the proposals and the Powergrid Corporation agreed to provide 1200 MW and the rest would be taken from the naphtha-based power generation companies.

Reeling out statistics, the Minister said there was a steep rise in demand for power over the years.

It was just 6,600 MW in 2003-04 and reached 8,800 MW in 2006-07. The number of pumpsets increased from 22 lakh to 28 lakh. The electricity subsidy given to the farm sector rose to Rs.4,392 crore.

Mr. Shabbir Ali said, the Congress after coming to power in the State planned for establishing electricity generation stations with an installed capacity of 14,000 MW. Of which, this year 900 MW would be added taking the total generation to 11,600 MW. At the end of the fifth year, they could be optimised, he said.

He said the 400 kv electricity sub-station costing Rs.161 crore at Dichpally would be opened by end of July or August first week.

It was nearing completion. Works under progress at the 220 kv sub-station taken up at an outlay of Rs.45 crore at Patharajampet in Kamareddy mandal.

On reservations for Muslim minorities, he said the Krishna Rao Committee submitted a report to the BC Commission on the backward social status of 14 communities among Muslims. A public opinion was gathered on the committee recommendations. As soon as the BC Commission gives its report, reservations would be implemented for Muslims, he said.

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Seven-hour power to farm sector likely

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