Former minister and Telugu Desam Party senior leader Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy on Thursday stated that lack of initiative to increase power generation in last eight years was responsible for the current power crisis in the State.
Talking to media persons at the NTR Trust Bhavan, Chandramohan Reddy demanded action against the RIPL and said that the company should be made to bear the burden of power shortage and losses to the State’s exchequer as it failed to implement the project at Krishnapatnam forcing the state to buy power at huge costs. He said that Kiran Kumar Reddy Government had failed to speed up the Krishnapatnam UMPP owned by RIP to be commissioned in 2013.
According to the Power Purchase Agreement, the State is entitled to get 1600 MW of power as its share, which comes to 38 Mu per day at Rs 2.33 per unit. He said that in 2007, the Coastal Andhra Power Ltd, a subsidiary of RIPL bagged the 3960 MW Krishnapatnam UMPP through international competitive bid by quoting a rate of Rs. 2.33 per unit for 25 years. In 2009, works started on the project and a total of 2,546 acres of land is acquired for this purpose under Somasila Ayacut. However, the site has been abandoned and it is likely to be commissioned only by 2017. This has caused a loss of Rs 10,173 crore to State Government.
The TDP leader challenged Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to come for an open discussion on the seven hour power to farmers. Stating that Kiran Kumar Reddy lacked commitment in addressing power woes, he accused the Chief Minister of making concrete efforts to shield the corrupt ministers at New Delhi level.
He warned the government that the TDP would lay seize to sub-stations and intensify agitation until the government improves power situation in the State.
–Agencies