Faced with acute shortage of power, the government has decided to impress upon the Centre the need to ensure adequate coal and gas allocation, particularly to the generating stations in the public sector, in line with the performance of the power utilities.
The issue would be taken up with the Centre by Information Technology Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah who is leaving for New Delhi tomorrow to participate in the conference of State Energy Ministers convened by Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on July 17 to evolve measures to overcome power crisis.
At a press conference, Mr. Lakshmaiah said he would make a presentation explaining to the Centre the need to assist Andhra Pradesh which was among the best performing States in power sector. The government would demand that the Centre implement short and long term measures enabling the State to overcome the crisis.
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In addition, efforts would be made to convince the Centre to expeditiously complete the development of transmission corridor connecting north and south enabling the State to seek power from States in northern India to overcome shortages, he said.
Gas-based power generation plants in the State that were allocated gas were functioning at less than 50 per cent capacity while 2,400 MW gas-based plants were under different stages of completion.
“We will request the Centre to rethink on the gas allocation and make it in line with the performance of the State in various parameters,” he said.
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Admitting acute shortage of power, he said the government had tied up with the National Thermal Power Corporation for 800 MW and efforts were underway to purchase another 220 MW power from Jhajjar in Haryana to overcome the current deficit while the floating RLNG terminal would be operational by the end of next year. “Power from NTPC and Jhajjar will help us meet 80 per cent of the deficit,” he said.