By overcoming the precarious power supply (availability) position of over 12-hour power cuts every day in rural areas, 3 to 4 power holidays to the industrial sector every week and struggling hard to ensure even a 6-hour supply to the farm sector from the first day of its existence, Telangana’s achievement of being the only State in the country to ensure 24x7 supply to all categories of consumers is an enviable feat.
The power problem at the time of State formation was compounded by Andhra Pradesh denying the supply of power generated at the locations there to Telangana in the recommended ratio as per the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act. The situation forced the Telangana government to speed up the commissioning of 2×600 megawatt Singareni Thermal Power Plant, 800 MW unit of Kothagudem Thermal Power Station, 4x30 MW Pulichintala Hydro-electric Station and taking up 4x270 MW Bhadradri Thermal Power Project and 5x800 MW Yadadri Thermal Power Station.
Except the last one, YTPS which is delayed with cases filed in the National Green Tribunal and hurdles allegedly created by the Centre by stopping two finance agencies — Power Finance Corporation and Rural Electrification Corporation — from releasing funds based on the project’s progress, all other facilities have helped the State overcome the power problem.
Barely months before the bifurcation of the combined A.P., the then Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy was on record stating from the floor of the Assembly that the power transmission and distribution lines would be useful only to dry clothes in Telangana with the formation of the separate State as there would be no power passing through them. “Disproving such voices and proving the mettle of Telangana was the top priority to the State Government. Today, it’s the only State providing 24X7 free power to the farm sector in the country, starting from January 1, 2018”, says Vice-Chairman of the State Planning Board B. Vinod Kumar.
From handling the peak load of 6,755 MW at the time of its formation, Telangana has registered 129% growth in load-bearing with the highest-ever of 15,497 MW recorded on March 30 this year. Similarly, in per capita consumption which is considered is a major indicator of economic growth, Telangana has achieved the highest growth rate of nearly 57% in the country during the 2014-15 and 2021-22 periods as the per capita consumption of energy has reached from 1,356 units to 2,126 units. Agricultural pump-set power connections have increased from 18 lakh in 2014 to 27.5 lakh in 2023.
On the flip side, the State’s power utilities are beset with problems of piling losses mainly on the account of huge energy bill over dues from the government departments standing at over a whopping ₹20,000 crore till December last year even after taking over of about ₹12,000 crore after joining the Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY). In its recent report, the Ministry of Power (MoP) stated that Telangana was among the 17 States which was releasing power subsidy dues 100% to the Discoms.
