Cancel the permits to private power plants, demands CPI(M)

A file picture of CPI(M) Polit Bureau Member and AP State Secretary B.V. Raghavulu. Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has demanded that the Andhra Pradesh government immediately revoke permissions granted to private power producers for setting up thermal plants in the State.

“The State granted permissions to private companies for setting up thermal plants to generate 30,000 MW of power though the maximum additional power requirement is only 14,000 MW,” the CPI(M) state committee pointed out.

Briefing newsmen about the deliberations at the State committee meet here today, CPI(M) State secretary B V Raghavulu said the Congress government was acquiring hundreds of acres of fertile land from farmers and transferring it to the power producers, though the actual requirement was very less.

“Besides, the government itself is required to spend hundreds of crores of rupees for creating necessary infrastructure for distribution of power generated by private producers. This is highly detrimental to the State’s interests,” Mr. Raghavulu said.

The government was also grossly ignoring the environmental hazards caused by the thermal power plants, he alleged.

The CPI(M) secretary demanded that the government come out with an alternative power policy that would not only protect the interests of all stakeholders and also the environment.

“All the new power plants should be set up by the State-owned AP Genco only,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Raghavulu also wanted government to conduct polls to urban local bodies next month as per schedule.

“The government is seeking to put off the civic polls on the pretext that the BC reservations issue has not been sorted out. But the State Election Commission said it is ready to hold polls if the government decides. Hence, the government should conduct the civic polls as per schedule,” he said.