Hyderabad: The Centre remained indifferent to Andhra Pradesh government`s plea for withdrawal of its order diverting two million metric standard cubic metres per day (MMSCMD) of natural gas from the Krishna-Godavari Basin to Ratnagiri power plant in Maharashtra.
Union Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy today refused to intervene or even speak on the controversial decision even as the principal opposition Telugu Desam Party blasted both the Centre and the state government for jeopardising Andhra Pradesh`s interests.
The Union Minister, who represents Chevella Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh, declined to speak to media even as he told a state government delegation led by Roads and Buildings Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao last night to knock on the Prime Minister`s doors to sort out the issue.
Ironically, the state government was clueless about the Centre`s move (on diversion of gas to Maharashtra) even as it had been making repeated pleas for allocation of additional gas for the power plants that had been working with load factor of only about 30 percent for several months now due to short supply of fuel.
As per the Centre`s order that came into effect from August 1, Andhra Pradesh will now get only 1.48 MMSCMD of gas from Reliance`s D6 wells as two MMSCMD will be diverted to Ratnagiri.
Due to the cut in gas supply, power generation from gas-based plants will go further down by 400 MW and push the state into more darkness.
While the total installed capacity of gas-based power plants was 2,700 MW, they had been producing only about 1,100 MW due to scarcity of fuel and now the generation would go down further to about 700 MW, official sources pointed out.
PTI
