Ensure free power supply to farm sector, Energy Minister tells officials

Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar has said the Andhra Pradesh government is taking concrete steps to strengthen the nine-hour free power supply scheme to the agriculture sector, thereby making farming a profitable activity. 

The government has given clear directions to the power utilities to focus on the scheme and come up with a robust system. 

Addressing a review meeting at the Secretariat on June 24 (Monday), Mr. Ravi Kumar said the power utilities should make collective efforts to provide the best services to the consumers.

He wanted the consumers’ grievances and load-related issues to be resolved as a top priority. He asked the DISCOMs to take steps to ensure 100% power supply to tribal areas. 

Special Chief Secretary (energy)  K. Vijayanand said that the power utilities were striving hard for the successful implementation of all the power sector programmes.

The officials informed the Minister that the State had around 23 lakh SC/ST electricity consumers and the power utilities were making efforts to ensure power supply in all tribal areas. 

It has been planned to supply solar power to the tribal habitations where laying power lines is not feasible, they said.

Further, the officials said an underground cabling project was under implementation in Visakhapatnam under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).

Mr. Ravi Kumar reviewed all the Central government schemes and the progress of various schemes including RDSS and the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan. 

AP-Genco MD K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu, CMDs of DISCOMs I. Prudhvi Tej and K. Santosha Rao, Joint Secretary (energy) B.A.V.P. Kumar Reddy, AP-Transco Director (grid) A.K.V. Bhaskar and others were present.