TDP regime responsible for power crisis: AP CM

Hyderabad, July 20 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today alleged that the present acute power shortage in the state was due to the lopsided policies of the previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP) regime in the state.

In a an open letter to the people here, he alleged that the previous TDP government had neglected the power and industrial sectors in the state.

''It was a historic blunder on the part of the then TDP government to ignore the New Exploration Licensing Policy and stay away from the bidding of Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin off-shore natural gas blocks,'' he said.

''Now, we are helplessly watching others, like Reliance Industries and Gujarat government, taking away our precious oil and gas reserves that would have fulfilled the needs of our state for another 50 years,'' he added.

Dr Reddy said his government was now undoing the damage done by the previous regime by bringing pressure on the Centre to see that gas explored from the KG basin was supplied to Andhra Pradesh first, before being transported to other parts of the country.

It had already chalked out a plan for piped supply of gas to domestic households, initially in urban areas, which would be later extended to all villages with a population of more than 1,000. This gas would be made available to the people at half the rate of the present LPG, which costs Rs 353 per cylinder.

''However, the state government is bearing an additional cost of Rs 50 per cylinder, in view of the hike in gas price announced by the Centre recently, to lessen the burden on the consumers,'' he said.

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