In order to achieve 100% satisfaction over the implementation of Domestic Efficient Lighting Program (DELP) i.e. distribution of two LED bulbs to 80% of households in the State and demands from various sections, the Andhra Pradesh government has stressed the need to adopt a special mechanism to provide LED bulbs to all households and ensure complete coverage of the scheme instead of 80% as envisaged in the respective district-wise project reports prepared by (EESL).
Accordingly, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed the official machinery to make efforts to complete the DELP scheme by March next.
After an interaction with some consumer associations on Saturday evening, Chief Secretary. I.Y.R. Krishna Rao, who is also Chairman of the State Energy Conservation Mission (SECM), said the Chief Minister wants same tempo of implementation of Energy efficiency measures maintained. Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Union Minister of State for Coal, Power & MNRE . Piyush Goel have been saying AP is No. 1 in the country on the Energy Efficiency front and other States have to study the AP model and follow the implementation processes.
Consequent to the interaction with the associations, CMD/APTRANSCO K.Vijayanand and Energy Advisor K. Ranganatham, the Chief Secretary has directed the officials of DISCOMs to work out modalities in coordination with EESL and the State Energy Conservation Mission (SECM) for enhancing the penetration of DELP scheme to 100%. It was tentatively estimated by CMDs of DISCOMS R. Muthyala Raju and HY Dora, there is a requirement of some 20 lakh LED bulbs in the districts where DELP stage-I (four districts of Guntur, Anantapur, West Godavari and Visakhapatnam) is implemented to reach 100% coverage.
As per the directions of Energy Secretary Ajay Jain, the DISCOMS, in coordination with SECM and EESL are in the process of preparing a detailed report on the additional requirement of the LED bulbs to be submitted to the government and APERC. The Chief Secretary stressed for a greater coordination among officials of DISCOMs, EESL and the SECM in implementation of the DELP scheme, enhance the coverage to 100% thereby enhancing the consumer satisfaction and the DISCOMs should own up the responsibility of the scheme as they have to repay the invested amounts to EESL subsequently.
Stage-II of DELP was launched in Krishna district on September 26 and has been extended to Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and Chittoor districts. taking the total count of LED bulbs distribution in the entire State to 70 lakhs. The remaining districts of Nellore, Kurnool, Cuddapah and East Godavari will be taken up in November/December so as to complete the scheme by March 2016. (NSS)