AP power sector gets Rs 1,604 cr from Centre

The Andhra Pradesh government has directed all the distribution companies (discoms) to bring down aggregate technical and commercial losses to below 15 per cent in major towns in the state.

To achieve this target, the discoms have been asked by the state energy department to fully gear up for the implementation of the Re-structured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) meant for this purpose, within the schedule period.

Dinesh Kumar, principal secretary (energy), who reviewed the progress and performance of APEPDCL on Saturday, said that the Centre had sanctioned Rs 1,604 crore under Part-A and Part-B of the R-APDRP scheme to achieve the target.

With the investment of Rs1,604 crore the state government is expected to take up construction of numerous new substations, laying of new lines, renovation of old substations and lines, replacement of old electro-mechanical meters with high quality static meters, providing automatic meter reading instruments to the meters near distribution transformers (DTRs) and high-tension services, apart from establishment of a data centre, a disaster recovery data centre and a centralised customer care centre in the discom headquarter, a release said.

The state government has requested the power ministry to extend the scheme even to towns with population of 10,000 instead of the Centre’s criteria of 30,000 under Part-A of R-APDRP.