As a part of Water management, the Govt. machinery has geared up to have the optimum productivity of crops under canal irrigation and to provide invariably 7 hours power supply to all 32 lakh pump sets during present Rabi season under effective & efficient energy management.

Each and every acre of crop will be protected in Rabi by initiating necessary measures and deployment of special teams to monitor and oversee the crop patterns. AP is the only state in the country where free power has been implementing for the last 9 years without any break. So far, State Government has spent around Rs. 32,000 Crores on free power scheme, which immensely helped the farming community.

While reviewing the restoration works with regard to Phailin and Helen cyclones, constraints in coal supply to power projects and proposed capacity additions, Dr.P.K.Mohanty, Chief Secretary & Chairperson/SECM, with senior officers, has appreciated the good work done by District administration, Energy, Agriculture, Revenue, Disaster Management departments, etc., in minimizing the loss. It is very painful to note that there was huge crop and property loss. Government took all precautionary steps to avoid human loss with timely evacuation & rehabilitation works. The state official machinery has once again proved itself in evolving crisis management. “Our ultimate objective is to protect the interest of the public at any cost. The Government is serious in ensuring that the fruits of every scheme should reach to the end beneficiaries, particularly during this critical period of calamity.”

To improve the economic conditions of the state and to meet the requirements of the people of all walks, the Govt. has also taken up short & long term welfare programmes/projects with good governance. For instance, as part of long term programmes, the Govt. of AP is successful in getting the additional allocation of coal blocks for AP power projects. Contd…2

In response to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s appeal made to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the Government of India has allocated additional coal blocks from Sarapal-Nuapara(Odisha) which has an estimated coal reserves of more than 700 Million Tonnes, for ensuring sufficient coal stocks for proposed power plants of APGENCO namely VTPS Stage-V (800 MW), KTPS stage –VII (800 MW), KTPP stage-III(800 MW), Sattupaly TPS (600 MW), Srikakulam TPP(2400 MW). The communication has been received by Govt of AP from the Ministry of Coal, GoI in this regard. In order to get the allocated quota of power to AP from Central generating stations, the CS has specifically requested authorities of NTPC & Talcher coal fields to resolve the coal crisis caused by local agitations & transport problem. CS further disclosed that Chief Minister is going to write a letter to the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas for additional allocation of Natural Gas from ONGC fields of AP coast for AP based plants.

This year, hydel generation has been a boon to power sector and generation has crossed 5000 MU during April to November, 2013 as against 2000 MU generated during the same period last year. Special Chief Secretary M. Sahoo, Energy Dept. suggested APGENCO to preserve water till January,2014 for hydel generation, as power demand is expected to rise due to peak Rabi operations. He informed the Chief Secretary, that the on-going projects of generation i.e., Krishnapatnam units I & II of 800 MW, Kakatiya 600 MW, Sagar Tail Pond of 50 MW, Lower Jurala of 80 MW totalling 2330 MW, 255 MW from Tuticorin and 120 MW from Central Generating Stations and 520 MW Hinduja Unit I & II Unit are likely to be commissioned by 2013-14. Besides, 500 MW solar and 500 MW wind energy is likely to be added making a grand total of 4745 MW by the end of March, 2014.  INN