Nuzvidu/Eluru, January 4:State Housing and Information & Public Relations Minister Kolusu Parthasarathi said the Andhra Pradesh government is taking concrete steps to further reduce electricity charges in the coming days. Addressing a press conference at his camp office in Nuzvidu on Sunday, the Minister stated that the government is committed to its pre-election promise of not increasing power tariffs and is, in fact, working to reduce the existing charges under the directions of the Chief Minister.
The Minister said the government has spared consumers from an additional ₹4,789 crore burden by absorbing the cost through the true-down mechanism, reflecting its people-centric governance. He recalled that before 2019, solar and wind power companies had offered electricity at ₹2.49 per unit, but the previous government allegedly opposed these proposals and instead entered into agreements to purchase power from the open market at much higher rates of ₹5.19 and ₹5.50 per unit, pushing the burden onto consumers.
Due to these unplanned decisions, the previous government created a true-up liability of ₹4,789 crore, which the present government decided not to pass on to the public. Minister Parthasarathi said this decision stands as a clear example of good governance under the leadership of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, whom he described as a visionary leader and custodian of the people’s mandate.
He said power sector reforms have been underway since November, resulting in a reduction of 13 paise per unit. While the power sector had surplus electricity in 2019, the previous government allegedly pushed it into debt amounting to ₹1.5 lakh crore, he added. The current government is focusing on reviving the sector while simultaneously driving industrial, tourism and IT development.
The Minister stated that agreements are being pursued to procure 80 gigawatts of power from solar, wind and bio-energy sources at lower costs. He added that the Chief Minister is actively working to attract large-scale foreign investments to promote industrial growth, which will generate employment for lakhs of youth in the state.
Under the Surya Ghar Yojana, solar power units are being provided to the poor, with 100 percent subsidy for SC and ST beneficiaries and an additional ₹50,000 subsidy for BC beneficiaries. Farmers installing solar units in their fields are also being encouraged with incentives.
Minister Parthasarathi said the state’s rapid development has drawn attention from other states. He added that the government is giving top priority to law and order, taking strict action to curb ganja cultivation and supply, and ensuring stringent punishment for offenders.
He further stated that the previous government failed to complete housing projects for the poor due to lack of planning, while the present government is issuing pattadar passbooks with official authentication. He alleged misuse of panchayat funds earlier and said the current administration, under the Deputy Chief Minister, is strengthening the Panchayat Raj system by laying 5,000 kilometres of rural roads and providing piped drinking water connections to every household across villages
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