Ensure 7-hour power to farm sector: Government

HYDERABAD: The state government has directed power utilities to fully gear up to ensure seven-hour power supply for agriculture sector as rabi is in full swing and is expected to end within a fortnight, leading to considerable reduction in agriculture demand.At a review held at Vidyut Soudha here on Saturday, Dinesh Kumar, principal secretary, energy, instructed power officials to maintain seven-hour supply without fail. The principal secretary also discussed about the arrangements for Prajapratham programme with APTransco chairman and managing director Ajay Jain, special secretary Muneendra and others.The government has directed district collectors to closely monitor power supply to agriculture sector, timely replacement of distribution transformers by holding regular meeting with agricultural and electricity officials and to review substation level committee meetings. In case any crop distress is reported, district collectors have been asked to bring it to the notice of the discoms, so that extra power supply can be provided wherever required.The government has agreed in principle to release Rs 25 crore in the first phase for shifting of LT and HT lines passing over habitations, housing colonies.The power demand has reached an all-time high of 307 MU on March 29, he said. To meet the power deficit, Discoms have been purchasing around 26 MU per day and the remaining is being met through load relief to industrial and domestic sectors, he said.A letter has been addressed to irrigation department to release about 2 TMC water from Jurala to Srisailam reservoir to extend the generation from Srisailam project for some more time.Further, keeping in view of the ongoing examinations, night supply from 6 p.m to 6 a.m. in all areas shall be ensured at any cost. He instructed the discoms to coordinate with Rural Water Supply (RWS) officials to ensure that drinking water schemes were not affected for want of power supply. He reiterated that discoms should ensure sufficient rolling stock of distribution transformers so as to replace them the non-working transformers within a stipulated time.Ajay Jain said control rooms were opened at APTransco and all four distribution companies and complaints received regarding agricultural supply were being attended to on priority.