Live
- Grenade attack: Ultras arrested
- Veteran BJP leader: Advani turns 97
- SC dismisses PIL seeking CBI probe into Tirupati laddus row
- New bench to decide AMU minority status: SC
- No power can restore Article 370 in J&K: Modi
- India deserves to be on list of global superpowers: Putin
- Caste census to draw quota system based on population
- A walk to rejuvenate Musi
- Kiran Abbavaram's Hard Work Pays Off: Bunny Vasu Lauds Ka Team at Success Meet
- PM Modi’s welfare schemes transform rural lives in Bokaro, residents share gratitude
Just In
Anantapur: With no switch boxes, LED streetlights burn day & night
- Purpose of installing LED streetlights to cut down on power bills is being defeated as some panchayats fail to install switch boxes to turn of light during daytime
- APTransco blames panchayats for wastage of power by not installing switches which cost only Rs 150
Anantapur: The 'Jagananna Palle Velugu' aimed at bringing down power consumption by 50 per cent by transition to LED lights by the village panchayats has boomeranged as a section of the panchayat officials and sarpanches failing to install switch boxes. Because of their negligence, energy is being wasted as lights continue to burn in day time as well as at night. It costs around Rs 150 to install a switch box to turn off lights. Way back in 2018, the then TDP government replaced the traditional incandescent bulbs which consume more energy with LED lights. The YSRCP objective is to bring down power charges by 50 per cent in all panchayats in the state. This measure was taken as already the panchayats owed more than Rs 500 crore to APTransco. The panchayats were in financial doldrums as they have not been able to get 15th Finance Commission funds and were told to clear power dues from general funds collected through property tax.
Normally in villages a master control box (MCB) for every 30-40 LED lights were installed to overcome the problem of tripping. In the undivided Anantapur district in the 1,000 odd panchayats, out of the 6,500 required boxes, around 5,000 boxes were installed. Actually, a third electrical line for the panchayats is under process but without waiting for a third line, switches can be installed by the panchayats to solve the problem of power wastage.
APTransco superintending engineer M Surendra told 'The Hans India' that it is the job of the panchayats to install switches which cost a pittance. The streetlights were connected to the domestic power lines and due to the uninterrupted supply of power, the LED lights are burning day and night. A simple switch installation would have solved the problem. The AP Transco should not be blamed for this, he added.
Meanwhile, district panchayat officer Prabhakar Rao clarified that the issue will be sorted out and switches will be installed soon. There are about two lakh LED lights in the district.
© 2024 Hyderabad Media House Limited/The Hans India. All rights reserved. Powered by hocalwire.com