Now that a huge sum of Rs. 600 crore is being placed at its disposal, AP Transco has decided to buy power from open market shelling out even Rs. 10 per unit to cover up the present shortage.
Principal Secretary, Energy, M. Sahoo, and senior officials of AP Transco, AP Genco and distribution companies took stock of the power supply situation here on Saturday as a follow-up of Friday’s review by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, and decided to procure power from outside sources to the extent of 1,500 MW a month up to May 2013.
An official said although the State has an installed capacity of 15,898 MW under all power stations, only 8,500 MW out of this is being used due to shortage of fuels like coal and gas and inadequate storages in reservoirs.
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Going by the Chief Minister’s instruction, they resolved to strictly maintain regulated supply without resorting to indiscriminate power cuts inconveniencing the public.
The officials estimated the availability during rabi season at 230-235 million units per day and decided to evolve a strategy to ensure proper supply with least hardship to consumers.
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Mr Sahoo asked the officials to take severe action against pilferers by displaying their names on the net and booking criminal cases against them, however big they might be.
Meanwhile, Transco allotted daily quotas to discoms out of the available power, depending on the level of demand in their respective jurisdictions, to take action for overdrawal beyond this limit.
The power to implement load relief for any category of consumers is transferred from the discoms to the State Level Load Despatch Centre at Vidyuth Soudha to avoid favouritism and misuse.