Hyderabad: The Opposition in Andhra Pradesh
on Wednesday came down heavily on the ruling Congress for turning the
state into "andha pradesh" (dark state) by totally mismanaging
the power sector.
In a scathing attack on the government, Leader of the
Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu said the state has been pushed
15 years backward in the power sector, leaving all sections
reeling under an unprecedented power crisis.
"The agriculture sector is not been getting even five
hours of power supply, as against the promised seven hours, in
the crucial Rabi crop season. Students are being affected
because of power cuts ahead of the examinations. Industrial
sector is the worst hit with a weekly 'power holiday' and
daily power restrictions," Naidu told the state Assembly.
Praja Rajyam Party chief K Chiranjeevi also expressed
anguish over the power situation in the state, while Lok Satta
Party president N Jayaprakash Narayan decried the populist
policies like free power supply to agriculture sector that
were only deepening the crisis. "Think and act realistically
in the future interests of the state," he told the government.
The CPI, CPM, BJP and MIM also criticised the government
over the power situation and demanded that it take effective
steps, including purchasing power from outside, to tide over
the crisis.
The Opposition demanded that the government withdraw its
controversial order permitting Independent Power Producers
(IPPs) to sell 20 per cent of the power produced by them to
outsiders. "They should supply all the power to the state
first," they said.
Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah, who made a
statement in the House on the power situation on behalf of
Chief Minister K Rosaiah, said the power supply position would
improve from March 11 as an additional 403 MW power generated
from independent power producers would be available to the
state.
"We are currently supplying about 223 million units of
power whereas the peak demand touched 255 MU as compared to
230 MU during the same time last year. The challenge to meet
the increasing demand for power is increasing day by day. The
main problem in meeting the power demand is because of a 40
per cent shortfall in hydel power generation," Lakshmaiah told
the House.
He, however, assured the members that adequate power
shall be supplied by need-based purchase of available power
from outside (the state).
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 19:06