AP to spend Rs.700 Crores on power schemes

Hyderabad, April 3 (INN): In order to provide quality and reliable power supply for 24 X 7to the domestic, commercial and industrial consumers and to ensure seven hours power supply to agriculture sector as per the objective of Andhra Pradesh Government and improve the overall efficiency, the Government/power utilities have initiated all possible measures for rapid infrastructure development in the power sector, which will also enhance the economical growth of the State.

Accordingly the Andhra Pradesh Government, with the support of Government of India, is going to implement the prestigious projects of IDPS (Integrated Power Development Scheme) & DDUGJJY(Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyothi Yojana) at estimated cost of around Rs.700Crores, which aims at strengthening of networks in Urban areas and electrification of rural networks.

Disclosing the above details, Ajay Jain, Secretary, Energy Dept., Govt. of A.P., while reviewing the arrangements for a high level meeting on developments of Power sector on 06th of April, 2015 with K. Vijayanand MD APGENCO & CMD APTRANSCO (FAC), K. Ranganathanan, Advisor/ Energy, H.Y. Dora & R. Muthyala Raju, CMDs of DISCOMS, said that the main objective of the Govt. is to provide better services to both the rural & urban consumers, showing no disparity between Rural & Urban consumers. The utilities are going to spend around Rs.430Crs for taking up strengthening of sub-transmission and distribution networks, Metering of distribution/feeders/consumers in urban areas. Apart from these, strengthening of distribution network and IT enablement of distribution sector like establishment of online feeder monitoring systems and computerized 24x7 Customer Call Centers are going to be taken up under this scheme.

M/s Power Finance Corporation (PFC), the nodal agency for IPDS has sanctioned Detailed Project Reports (DPR) furnished by the DISCOMs for a project cost of Rs.208.08 cr in APSPDCL and for a project cost of Rs222.42 cr in APEPDCL, totaling for Rs.430.50 crores. Out of the above project cost, an amount of Rs.258.3 crores( I.e 60% amount) will be provided by the GoI as grant. The concerned DISCOMs shall fund just 10% of the cost and the remaining 30% is to be lended out from Financial institutions / Banks. The DPRs in respect of the remaining districts of the DISCOMs are expected to receive approval of PFC soon.

Giving equal priority for rural consumers also the power utilities are simultaneously going to spend Rs.330 Crores for implementation of DDUGJY scheme, which envisages electrification of rural villages and tribal hamlets. As a part of this scheme, separation of agriculture and non-agriculture feeders in the rural areas, Strengthening and augmentation of sub-transmission & distribution (ST&D) infrastructure, including metering at distribution transformers, feeders and consumers end are to be taken up. Electrification of 1031 un-electrified habitations and 6,83,501 rural households including 4,32,334 BPL are being taken up in this scheme.

K. Vijayanand, has directed the CMDs of DISCOMs to expedite the above programmes which will help in improving energy efficiency and providing quality
power.