Free day-time power supply to agri feeders from this kharif

Energy Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy has said that power would be supplied to all agriculture feeders free of cost for nine hours during the day time from the coming kharif season.

Nearly ₹1,700 crore has been spent on augmenting the infrastructure for its implementation and necessary instructions issued to the DISCOMs, he said. Addressing the media here on Monday, Mr. Srinivasa Reddy said the power sector was bogged down by a massive debt of roughly ₹80,000 crore due to the misdeeds of the previous government.

After assuming the office, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy helped the power utilities overcome the crisis to some extent by giving them ₹18,000 crore.

“Extra high voltage (33/11 KV) substations and transformers among other facilities have been set up across the State to bear the increasing load. The installation of power meters for agriculture pumpsets will not be detrimental to farmers’ interests. Rather, it will help obtain the accurate consumption data,” said the Minister.

Orders have been issued to lay underground cables in the big YSR Jagananna Colonies while the lines would be overhead in the relatively small ones. Tenders would be called for once the DPRs are finalised, he said.