Sharma said that the highest supply the Akhilesh government had recorded was about 16,000MW, while the average supply during the SP regime was around 14,500 MW
Lucknow: Major reforms in the power sector and cooperation of engineering staff have for the first time resulted in record supply of over 23,400MW this week in the state, claimed energy minister Shrikant Sharma. This is about 7,000 MW more than the supply peak recorded by the previous Samajwadi Party government.
Talking to TOI here on Sunday, Sharma said that the highest supply the Akhilesh government had recorded was about 16,000MW, while the average supply during the SP regime was around 14,500 MW. Now, the state has managed to increase the supply peak by over 7,000 MW and this was not possible without the engineers’ cooperation and reforms introduced by the power ministry in the three-and-a-half-year of the Yogi government.
Highlighting steps initiated by his ministry to improve the overall power situation in the state,Sharma said that on the basis of line losses he had classified feeders in three categories – red, orange and green. From engineers to chairman of the power corporation all were made guardians of feeders and were asked to put an effective curb on line losses. Besides, the power ministry launched a scheme to give relief to consumers on the basis of decline in the AT and C losses, the minister added.
“I also introduced separate feeders for agriculture purpose to ensure uninterrupted supply to farmers. It was done to achieve a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for doubling the farmers’ income in the country,” Sharma said, adding that the UPPCL could not have supplied the record 23,400MW had the department not consolidated the power transmission infrastructure well in advance.
The minister further said that the Yogi government was not only providing uninterrupted power supply to its people, but was also ensuring that they were not burdened by heavy rates. The SP government had done public-private agreements (PPAs) at the rate of Rs 11.09 per unit, while the BJP government had fixed the PPAs’ upper limit to Rs 4.19 per unit, he added.
“Farmers are now getting power at Rs 1.10 per unit and no longer they are required to wake up throughout the night to irrigate their fields as was a normal practice during the previous government due to availability of electricity only in nights,” he added.
Source: TNN
