Power position likely to ease due to rains: Minister

Hyderabad, Jul 30 (UNI) Dismissing as 'politically-motivated'' and ''diversionary tactics'' the stir by the opposition Telugu Desam Party, Andhra Pradesh Energy Minister Mohd Ali Shabeer today exuded confidence that the power position would improve in the next fortnight following revival of south-west monsoon.

The State would get over one million tonnes of coal from Orissa in the next one week and planned to import another one million tonnes of coal from Australia or Indonesia to step up thermal power generation as the coal available within the State was wet due to heavy rains, he told a press conference here.

The demand for power had come down by 10 million units due to monsoon. The coal from Orissa would be moved by ships to Kakinada in a week as transportation by rail was resulting in delays, he added.

Unnerved by the exodus of leaders from the TDP, the party has been agitating to divert the people's attention from its internal problems, Mr Shabeer claimed.

He said the demand for power stood at 171 million units per day, while the availability was only 155 million units. Power worth Rs 1,589 crore was purchased since April to ensure seven hours of power free of cost to farmers. In 2003-04 when the TDP was in power, the demand was only 115 million units, he added.

While the power cut was in the range of 10 to 12 hours in Maharashtra and 25 per cent in other states, load shedding was only for two hours in Hyderabad, three to four hours in municipalities and four hours in villages in Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Referring to the TDP's charge that the Congress Government was not providing nine hours of power supply to farmers as ''promised'' to the people, Mr Shabeer said the Congress had only promised to provide free of cost power to farmers for the same duration supplied by the previous Government after taking money.

Waving a copy of the Congress election manifesto, he said he was sending the same to the TDP headquarters for perusal.

UNI SM VA GD PDT ND1716