KCR Reviews Situation As No Rainfall & AP’s PPA Cancellation Worsens Power Crisis

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, reviewed the power situation in the state at an official meeting on Thursday, instructed officials to draw up short-term and long-term plans to overcome the power crisis.

He blamed the power crisis in the state on the Andhra Pradesh government, as well as drought. The power shortage in Telangana has worsened since the Andhra Pradesh government decided to cancel its Power Purchase Agreements with distribution companies.

Chief Minister Rao elicited the opinion of officials on the existing power position and the inadequacy of power supply to the farmers and said the government will have to buy power from neighbouring states. He directed the officials to inquire about the availability of power in other states for sale to Telangana.

The Chief Minister said that, if required he would personally talk to the chief ministers of the neighbouring states including Karnataka.

As a short-term measure, the Chief Minister asked the officials to work out a plan of action to purchase power from available sources including private ones. The Chief Minister also expressed interest in a tie-up with states that have rich coal reserves like Chattisgarh. For this purpose he also wanted officials to work on a plan to lay transmission lines from Chattisgarh to Telangana through Wardah in Maharashtra.

The Chief Minister is likely to visit Chattisgarh in couple of days to personally talk to Raman Singh, Chief Minister of Chattisgarh and explore the possibilities of purchasing power.

The move by Andhra Pradesh’s government to cancel the PPAs has become a point of contention between the two neighbouring states. Though the central government has directed both the states to maintain a status quo and the AP State Electricity Regulatory Commission also rejected AP government’s stand, it was pressing ahead with its decision and had sent letters to the power distribution companies in Telangana informing them of its decision to cancel the PPAs.

With Telangana recording nil rainfall in the first month of monsoon so far, and heatwave conditions adding to the woes of the people, the state was reeling under the power crisis. Hyderabad was experiencing a minimum of three-hour power cut everyday.