AP to add 7,500 Mw in 4 yrs

The Andhra Pradesh government has proposed to add 7,500 megawatt (Mw) of power in the next four years, to the existing 14,903 Mw, according to chief minister K Rosaiah.

In his Independence Day address, his first after assuming office, Rosaiah said of the proposed capacity addition, 291 Mw production would be achieved this financial year. The power distribution losses were at 18.52 per cent during 2009-10, the lowest in the country.

While the world was reeling under severe food crisis, the state had initiated a food security movement way back in 2007, Rosaiah said, adding the foodgrain output grew 6 million tonne between 2004 and 2009, attracting the attention of the entire country.

“Though food production declined last year, we are hopeful of reaping higher yield this year on account of the timely arrival of monsoon,” he said.

Agitations over regional issues during four months starting last October had shown an adverse impact on revenue collections, with about Rs 100-crore collections per day coming to a standstill. “During the first three months of the current financial year, the state’s revenue collections grew 31 per cent to touch Rs 10,738 crore, as against Rs 8,170 crore in the corresponding period last year. The original target set for the April-June 2010 period was Rs 11,266 crore,” Rosaiah said.

To revive the Kolleru fresh water lake, the chief minister said the state government had chalked out a comprehensive action plan at an outlay of Rs 951 crore spanning the next five years. “We have sent proposals to the Centre to release Rs 220 crore towards this initiative. We will start implementing the plan once we receive the necessary approvals,” he added.