State government wants free power for BPL citizens

: The state government has requested the Union ministry of power to sanction free domestic connections for around 20 lakh eligible Below Poverty Line (BPL) consumers. SC colonies and weaker section of the city are included in the Rajiv Gandhi Grameena Vidyutikarana Yojana (RGGVY) programme under the XIIth five-year plan (2012-2017).

Dinesh Kumar, principal secretary with the energy department, said power utilities had electrified over 26 lakh BPL households during the X and XI plans up to November 2011 under the RGGVY programme. He said that the Centre had promised to continue the 90:10 funding scheme (90% central and 10% state funding) for implementation of RGGVY) in the XIIth plan as well.

Although the state's installed generation capacity has doubled, it is unable to meet power its citizens' requirement due to an unprecedented increase in the demand for power, shortage of coal and natural gas, dry spell & reduced inflows into hydel reservoirs, environmental problems and availability of transmission corridor problem, he said. But he added that the Bhupalpalli 500 MW thermal unit had been restored after power cuts for domestic consumers. The energy department official on Sunday said that the state was determined to strengthen the power sector by providing adequate and satisfactory supply to all.

Apart from providing a tariff subsidy of Rs 4,300 crore, the government has accorded permission for the mobilization of Rs 4,000 crore in the form of AP power bonds towards clearance of additional power purchases, he said. "Apart from giving top priority to domestic and agricultural sectors, power utilities in the state have taken special care for the industrial sector to minimise power shortages.

"The superintending engineers (operation) of all districts have been asked to organise district level industrial consumers' meet to take their opinion and feedback on the implementation of the above schemes meant," he said.