CM orders power relief for small, cottage industries

Hyderabad, May 4 : In a big relief to cottage and small scale industries, the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday ordered lifting of restriction on power consumption by small and cottage industries from the 15th of this month.

The Chief Minister held a high level meeting at secretariat and reviewed the power situation in the State. He asked the officials to see that power cuts for the domestic sector particularly in rural areas is reduced. He also asked the officials to ensure that on an average 240 to 250 million units power is produced per day. He said that he will write a letter to the union power minister regarding grid connectivity.

Officials briefed the Chief Minister about the steps taken to augment power supply during the just concluded Rabi season. They said that these steps have resulted in ensuring that no single standing crop is dried-up. Officials also explained to the Chief Minister the immediate measures taken to meet the power situation, power supply position, demand-supply gap and steps taken to meet the deficit, power purchases, long term and short term measures to overcome the power situation etc.

The situation will ease in the month of October when the Krishnapatnam 1st stage is completed which will ensure 800MW power supply. Similarly 2nd stage will be completed by December and 520 MW power from Hinduja power plant will be ready by the year end.

The Chief Minister asked the officials to encourage power entrepreneurs who are willing to set up solar power plants as per the norms prescribed by the group of ministers. He also asked the NEDCAP officials to take up roof top solar net metering on a pilot basis on government welfare hostel buildings. It was also decided to take up the issue of fixing rate on the solar power supplied to the government by individual (household) power producers.

Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy, R&B Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao, Principal Secretary Energy M Sahoo, APTRANSCO MD Hiralal Samariya, APGENCO MD Vijayanand, NEDCAP MD Kamalakar Babu and secretary to Chief Minister K.S.Jawahar Reddy and other officials attended the meeting. INN