CM justifies power tariff hike

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JULY 8. Even as the Chief Minister, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, was ending his speech, a section of employees held aloft a banner with the demand that staff be given at least 100 units of power free per month. He turned down the plea saying that the Government was to spend Rs. 700 crores on regularisation of services for which registrations were made during the recent drive

The Chief Minister said the ``atmosphere in the State is hot'' and he is ``scared'' that he may receive a shock, with reference to the on-going agitation against power tariff. He was speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations of Andhra Pradesh Electricity Employees' Union at Champapet, near here, on Saturday. He told the large gathering of power staff who came from different parts of the State that he had to undertake reforms to save the power sector, which was sinking, and serve the consumers in a better way. He appealed to people and the staff to extend cooperation in his sincere efforts to revamp the system. There was pressure on electricity as it became essential for daily activity as well as for development. But, its cost had gone up over the years due to heavy stress on thermal generation and increase in the cost of coal and the previous Governments tried to come out of the mess through ad hoc measures like conversion of loans into equity.

Mr. Chandrababu Naidu said Andhra Pradesh opted for reforms at the right time and if it had delayed the reforms for two or three years on one pretext or other, the sector would have been ``bankrupt'' by now.

On the demands raised by the union, he said he would refer them to the Cabinet Sub-Committee on power-related issues and consider sympathetically.

The Energy Minister, Mr. K. Subbarayudu, said the Chief Minister was trying to nurse the sick sector and he was sure that it would become role-model for others.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Satellite communication network for State
Next     : Guntur violence spontaneous, says Cong. leader