AP Assembly adjourned amid chaos, power debate inconclusive

The power tariff issue rocked the House for the fourth day today with Congress and Left parties insisting on a categorical reply from the Chief Minister on their demand for a total rollback of the hike while Naidu charged the Opposition with resorting to “goondaism and blackmailing”.

Naidu, who was frequently interrupted by slogan-shouting opposition members, asserted that power reforms had a national consensus and were irreversible and pointed out that several states, including those ruled by the Congress, were pursuing reforms and privatisation of power distribution.

During the two-and-half hour reply, which remained inconclusive, Naidu had a wordy duel with the Congress and CPI (M) members who frequently stormed the Speaker’s podium and raised slogans denouncing the government’s `anti-people’ measures and demanding an assurance on the rollback of hike.

Tempers ran high and allegations flew thick and fast with treasury benches accusing the opposition of “deliberately disrupting” the proceedings while Congress floor leader Y S Rajasekhar Reddy charged the Chief Minister with “misleading the House with concocted figures and muzzling the voice of the opposition”. B

Reeling out comparitive figures on power sector performance, Naidu said his government had achieved an additional capacity of 1,943 MW during the last five years which, he claimed, was highest in the country.

Compared to poor planning, inadequate investments, erratic power supply and low voltage problems that marked the previous Congress regimes, he said his government had spent Rs. 7,000 crore in five years on improving the power sector and achieved a Plant Load Factor (PLF) of 92 per cent, the highest in the country.

During the last five years, the power sub-stations had been increased from 1,545 to 2,012, distribution transformers from 1.31 lakh to 1.92 lakh and agricultural connections had gone up from 16 lakh to 21 lakh.

The government had spent Rs. 1,400 crore to strengthen transmission and distribution systems while 30 per cent additional power was supplied to the agriculture sector during the last kharif season.

“Despite severe drought conditions in over 680`mandals’,we achieved a record foodgrain production of 141 million tonnes this year mainly because of quality power supply,” Naidu said.

The steady decline in hydropower generation resulting in an imbalance in Hydro-thermal mix, growing power consumption by the subsidised agriculture sector and increased cost of inputs like coal and freight charges had contributed to the tariff revision, Naidu explained.