Naidu focuses on strengthening power sector infra

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has emphasised the need for strengthening the infrastructure of power sector, reduction of T&D losses to a single digit, ensuring quality and reliable 24X7 power supply for the welfare of people, a top state government official said today.
Naidu, who is very firm in achieving energy security/self - sufficiency in power sector, has set targets for expedition of various works worth around Rs 1,575 crore being taken up by the AP government with Centre's support under the IPDS (Integrated Power Development Scheme) and DDUGJY (Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyothi Yojana), Chief Secretary IYR Krishna Rao said.

The government has decided to conduct State Level Standing Committee of AP soon consisting of Special Chief Secretaries/Principal Secretaries of Finance, Revenue, Energy, Forest & Environmental, Tribal welfare for inviting suggestions for effective implementation of DDUGJY, he said.
Rao, who is the Chairman of State Level Standing Committee of AP for DDUGJY, disclosed these details while reviewing the progress of these schemes during a teleconference with Ajay Jain, Secretary, Energy, K Vijayanand MD/APGENCO and other senior officials, according to a official release.
"As a result of the sustained efforts of AP government, the Central government has sanctioned an amount of Rs 920 crore under DDUGJY and Rs 655 crore under IPDS, so far, totaling to an amount of around Rs 1575 crores, for infrastructure development of power sector," he said.

Ajay Jain has informed that under DDUGJY, electrification of 1031 un-electrified habitations and 6,83,501 rural households including 4,32,334 BPL are being taken up along with strengthening and augmentation of Substation and Transmission works, metering etc, in the rural villages.
Under IPDS project formulated for urban electrification, the power utilities are going to take up strengthening of sub-transmission and distribution networks, Metering of distribution/feeders/consumers and IT enablement of distribution sector like establishment of online feeder monitoring systems and computerized 24x7 Customer Call Centers, he said.
K Vijayanand said the Centre is fully satisfied with the performance of AP power sector and has appreciated the efforts of the state government in maintaining the Transmission & Distribution (T&D) losses to a lowest of 10.35 per cent and further measures being taken up to reduce losses to single digit of 9 per cent, the release added.