Power crisis a myth, allege Transco staff

HYDERABAD: Is the state government exaggerating the power crisis and imposing power cuts for more hours than required? If sources are to be believed, the answer might be ‘yes’.On the other hand, the APTransco has commenced power cuts to the agriculture sector despite promising seven-hour power supply.Indications from the electricity employees are that the government is exaggerating the power crisis to make people feel the pinch and thus, build up pressure on employees to call off the strike.However, APTransco officials deny any such strategy and claim the power supply situation is indeed in crisis due to fall in coal supplies and also declining inflows into the reservoirs.Stating there is a gap between demand and supply of electricity in the state due to shortage in coal supplies following participation of Singareni workers in the ongoing Sakala Janula Samme, the state government has started implementing power cuts to an extent of two hours in Hyderabad, four hours in district headquarters and municipalities, six hours in mandal headquarters and eight hours in villages.According to officials, about 241.9 million units were supplied as against the demand of 259.1 MU on Thursday, resulting in a power deficit of 17.19 MU.The government is purchasing about 1,200 MW to meet the requirements.But electricity employees complain the government is misguiding people as it had not implemented power cuts for such long hours when power deficit was at a similar level in July and August.Meanwhile, though the government has been claiming there are no power cuts for agriculture and industrial sector, the situation is different at field level.Farmers are complaining that as against the promised seven-hour power supply, officials are supplying power only for six hours in three spells, including two hours at night making it difficult for farmers to carry out farming late at night.Further, there are allegations power cuts are being implemented for more hours in T districts.When contacted APTransco chairman and managing director Ajay Jain denied the allegations and stated there was no shortfall during July/August.