Date:12/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/12/stories/2008071254200500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

“Inefficiency is the cause for power crisis”

Correspondent

VIZIANAGARAM: TDP Polit Bureau member P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju has said that the present power crisis is the result of the State Government’s “inefficiency” and wondered whether or not it assessed the demand-generation gap keeping in view the 10 per cent raise in consumption every year.

Mr. Ashok was addressing a gathering at V.T. Agraharam where he along with the party district president Y. Ramana Murty, councillors and other leaders staged a dharna and blocked vehicular traffic on the NH-43 for about 30 minutes against the unscheduled power cuts.

He said that the shortage at present was about 2,300 mw and there was no schedule for load shedding in rural areas. Congress leaders were concentrating more on their business activities and earnings than taking interest in people and farmers’ problems, he said.

Mr. Ramana Murty said that Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had cheated farmers with false promises and wanted to know whether Lord Varun quit the Congress.