Steps sought to protect lower-end power consumers

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JUNE 18. The Telugu Desam Party president and Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, has underlined the key role of the party in convincing the people about the power tariff hike and in countering the `motivated Opposition campaign of distortion'.

Mr. Naidu convened the broad-based meeting of senior functionaries here, on Sunday, for a 60-minute presentation on the burning issue and the steps taken by the Government to tone up the power sector. A hard copy of the presentation and a fund of supporting material were given to the 550-odd leaders present.

The presentation gives an overview of the power reforms worldwide, the position in India and Andhra Pradesh, the pre- reforms and post-reforms scenario, the precarious financial position of the power sector, steps taken by the Government to pull it back from the brink.

There was a feeling on the eve of the meeting that Mr. Naidu might draw flak from some seniors who are unhappy with the leadership and therefore want to cash in on the issue. It did not happen that way. The meeting accepted the hike as a done thing and there was no demand for rollback. Party sources said the participants only wanted steps to see how best the lower-end consumers were protected, the AP Transco improved its efficiency, minimised energy theft, transmission and revenue losses and curbed corruption within.

Mr. Naidu took potshots at the Left parties and the Congress who, he alleged, sought to create confusion on the tariff hike and embarrass the Government. He was particularly hard on the Left parties and tried to turn the tables on them by citing West Bengal case.

West Bengal had only one lakh agriculture connections against 18 lakh plus in Andhra Pradesh; per capita power consumption was a mere 197 units (A.P. 480), transmission loss was 40 per cent against 36.9 here. It charged 133 paise a unit from agriculture users while in Andhra Pradesh it was a flat Rs.250 up to 3 hp to Rs.600 for users of 10 hp or more.

Mr. Naidu said his home district of Chittoor or Warangal boasted of more farm connections than entire West Bengal (1.04 lakh). `If it involved only one lakh connections, we could even give it free'. Leftists here cried foul about privatisation not knowing perhaps hydel projects in West Bengal were being privatised.

Turning to the Congress, he said power rates were upped thrice in five years when it was in power. Even the revised tariff for 0-50 unit slab (135 paise) in the State was lower than in Karnataka (145), Haryana (306) and Gujarat (164). Karnataka had already hinted at raising the tariff.

The Chief Minister denied the charge that he was changing figures on subsidy component every day. The Government's commitment to the power sector totalled Rs.2,364 crores (Rs.1,626 crores subsidy and Rs.738 crores towards interest payment on AP Transco bonds). `They are welcome to be around when we present the cheques to AP Transco', he said.

With the help of statistics, the Chief Minister spoke of a multi- pronged strategy to improve the power sector with focus on curbing energy theft, commercial and technical losses and energy saving.

He reiterated that the hike did not touch 32 lakh consumers who paid a minimum charge of Rs.50. The hike for the next slab of 21 lakhs ranged from Rs.9 to Rs.18 only.

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