Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has stressed the need to put in place a comprehensive power policy in the State.
He favoured an in-depth study of the policies that are being implemented in different States in consultation with experts for evolving the new energy policy for the State. The Chief Minister made this remarks while reviewing the power situation in the State with senior Energy department officials on Wednesday.
The meeting discussed about the energy consumption, uninterrupted power supply round the clock, generation capacity of the power plants as well as steps that should be taken to explore new avenues for enhancing power generation. The more than two-hour-long meeting discussed about the steps that should be taken to fulfil the promise of providing free power to households upto 200 units given by the Congress in the run-up to the previous Assembly elections.
The officials explained to the Chief Minister about the status of power generation, power purchases from different firms, performance of the distribution companies and the financial situation of the power utilities during the meeting. The Chief Minister directed the officials concerned to prepare a comprehensive report on the agreements reached between the power utilities and the Electricity Regulatory Commission since the formation of the State in 2014 and the costs incurred in purchase of power and submit to the government soon.
Officials were instructed to provide information about agreements entered into by the power utilities year-wise and explain the reasons for signing agreements involving purchase of required power. Mr. Revanth Reddy was particular that the power utilities purchase power from companies that were supplying power at lower costs in the open market. He said absence of a comprehensive power policy during the past decade had resulted in problems to the State and asked the officials to study the best practices in the policies in force in different States.
The government on its part would study the policies in different States so that the State could ensure implementation of the best power policy in the country. Meetings with experts as well as political parties would be convened in this direction. Officials were directed to ensure that the 24x7 free power supply to farm sector should continue uninterrupted and prepare plans for fulfilling the promise of 200 units free power to households.
Steps should be taken to study the scope for enhancing power generation through new companies, if need be, and officials should focus on expediting works on the ongoing power generation projects. Effort should be made to curb the misuse of power and check leakages so as to provide quality power to consumers that would ensure supply of quality power to consumers.
