Telangana Energy Minister G. Jagadish Reddy allayed apprehensions about progress of Bhadradri Power Project at Manuguru and said the sub-critical technology power plant will be commissioned in 2017-18 financial year.
The Minister in his reply during a short discussion on ‘Power Situation in the State’ in the State Legislative Council here on Thursday said that the project was delayed due to the stay imposed by National Green Tribunal, but it was vacated with some conditions after the Government presented its case. The new Environment Impact Assessment Committee is expected to meet within a month and “State Government is confident of getting approval”, he added.
The issue was also raised the Congress member Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy during the Question Hour by saying that the Government had spent Rs. 1,059 crore but the project was stuck. It was perhaps not a wise decision on the part of the Government to opt for a sub-critical plant when the super critical technology plants were preferred.
Bifurcation blues
The Minister explained that the State had a shortage of 2,700 MW after bifurcation and the Andhra Pradesh Government in violation of the AP State Reorganisation Act refused to give 1,550 MW of power to Telangana. Under those circumstances BHEL offered to complete the 1,080 MW sub-critical technology plant in a record time of two years and the Centre too gave its green signal. He said that 36 sub-critical plants across the country were allowed under the 12th Five-Year Plan.
Leader of Opposition Md. Ali Shabbir said that the State Government did not lay foundation for any new plant in the last two-and-a-half years. There was no progress on Bhadradri and Yadadri power plants.
The lift irrigation projects, Metro rail and growing demand for power would require additional 14,000 MW. The Government added 2,100 MW by commissioning only those plants that were started during the Congress regime and granted by the UPA Government, he observed.
Mr. Jagadish Reddy summing up the discussion said that from a situation of power crisis, the State was now power surplus and 24-hour supply was extended to all categories of consumers except agriculture. All the pending 94,735 agricultural connections would be released by May, he added.
Solar power
The TSGENCO was adding 5,880 MW thermal capacity at Manuguru, Kothagudem and Damaracherla with an investment of Rs. 37,000 crore and 2,215 MW of solar power would be commissioned by 2017-18. The distribution and transmission network was being strengthened with an investment of Rs. 42,000 crore to meet the requirement of 7,500 MW to facilitate lift irrigation projects.
The power supply issues in the old city of Hyderabad were identified and seven new sub-stations would be ready by January to improve the power supply, he replied.
