TRS resorts to 'mahadharna,' Govt explores naptha option

Hyderabad, Dec 29 (UNI) While seeking help from the Centre to overcome power crisis, the Andhra Pradesh Government today explored various options, including stepping up generation using costly naptha in gas-based power plants, even as the opposition TRS staged 'Mahadharna' along the Rajiv National Highway in support of the demand for nine-hour uninterrupted electricity supply to farmers.

Various opposition parties, including the TDP and the TRS, spearheaded a joint struggle against the Congress Government for reneging on its poll promise of providing free power for 12 hours to farmers.

Revenue Minister D Prasada Rao told reporters the government was holding talks with the Centre for getting unallocated power to the state.

''While stepping up hydel power generation, the government is purchasing power from other states at a higher price to save crops,'' he said making it clear the administration will not hesitate to cut power supply to urban areas to save the standing crops.

While TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu extended support to the TRS stir, TRS Chief K Chandrasekara Rao maintained his party had no no hesitation in joining hands with the TDP and the Congress poll ally CPI to mount pressure on the government to save the standing crops in the Telangana region where farmers were mostly dependent on groundwater for irrigation.

Alleging the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy Government, which was calling itself farmer-friendly, had failed to provide power to farmers, Mr Naidu and Mr Rao told reporters the agitation would continue till the government provided uninterrupted power supply to the farmers.

Meanwhile, Transmission Corporation Managing Director Rachel Chatterjee explained with the state's demand at 161.6 million units a day as against generation of 138.6 million units, the government was negotiating terms for using naptha to run gas-based power plants which were functioning now at 55 to 65 per cent capacity due to fall in gas supply by 50 per cent from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.

(EDs: Pls pick up suitably from related series).

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