Telangana: No power tariff hike, no power cuts

Hyderabad: Good news on two counts was announced by Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Saturday while revealing that a new power policy would be introduced soon. The first is that there would be no power tariff hike and no power cuts.

Addressing the media, the Deputy CM said that the previous BRS government ruined the entire power sector and it took more time to bring the energy wing on track. The government was already reviewing the power purchase agreements, including with Chhattisgarh power transmission companies and took action soon after the report was submitted.

Bhatti Vikramarka claimed that the newly-elected government has achieved a new record of the highest supply of 15,623 MWs of power on a single day on Friday. The present government surpassed the earlier record supply of 15,497 MW power. Adequate measures were being taken for uninterrupted power supply in the last three months. The consumption of power in December 2023, January and February this year increased substantially as against the corresponding months. The energy wing was estimating the power demand in the peak hours would be 16,500 MW during the summer and arrangements were made for the required power supply.

The minister also ruled out the enhancement of thepower tariffas the government was not in a mood to impose burden on the consumers. The government was aware of the growing financial burden on the Discoms due to free supply of power to the agriculture sector and up to 200 units to the domestic sector. Over 40 lakh electricity consumers were availing the free power supply benefit from February this year.

Under the new power policy, the minister said that solar, hydel and wind energy generation would be given priority. “Green energy production will be the top agenda of the government to meet the power demand in the coming days,” he said. Floating solar projects on canals, medium and major irrigation projects would also be taken up after the officials completed a study on it,” he said.