Centre may step in to resolve power crisis

Meeting of AP and TS CMs on cards

• TS given a go-ahead for power generation at Srisailam
• Harish Rao meets Central Ministers and apprises them of acute power problem

New Delhi: With Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States at loggerheads for the last few months over utilisation of the Krishna water and generation of power from Srisailam power project, the Centre is learnt to have decided to convene a meeting of both the Chief Ministers to resolve the issue.

Stating this in New Delhi after meeting Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal, TS irrigation minister T Harish Rao said the Centre had made it clear that in all such issues both the governments should strictly follow the provisions of the AP State Reorganisation Act-2014. He said the centre was ready to help both the states and would react sympathetically to their problems.

Rao said he had explained to the Union Minister as to how the neighbouring AP Government had been violating the State Re-Organisation Act and was denying the due share of 54 per cent of power generated in AP to Telangana. The AP government had deliberately stopped supply of power from Krishnapatnam, Hinduja and Siler power plants. Despite several appeals, the AP government was least bothered to follow provisions of the Act. The neighboring state had not shared the power that Telangana was entitled to, he said.

Harish further informed him about AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s unilateral action of cancelling the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) which resulted in severe power crisis in Telangana state. With no options left, the Telangana government shifted its focus to power generation from Srisailam Left Bank Canal. Even here, the TDP was putting a spoke in the wheel and hurting the interests of Telangana people, especially the farmers.

If the Centre did not intervene, the TS would be facing major problem as farmers were losing their standing crop. Hence he urged the Union Minister to convene a meeting of both the Chief Ministers and put an end to the dispute. Harish said the Centre had responded favourably and agreed to convene a meeting soon Meanwhile, Harish Rao also met Union Water Resource Minister Uma Bharati and explained to her as to why TS was insisting on utilisation of Srisailam waters for power generation. He also showed her various GOs that were issued which permitted power generation from the project till the water levels reached 834 feet.

Following this Uma Bharati took up the issue with the Krishna River Management Board. The Board, according to Harish, told her that they had not directed the TS government to stop power generation in Srisailam. She then told the TS minister to go ahead with power generation keeping in view the interests of the farming community. Harish conveyed the same to TS Genco CMD and directed him to resume power generation from Srisailam.

The TS minister also met Central Water Commission chairman AB Pandya and NTPC CMD AR Choudhary and urged them to expedite hydraulic clearances for Pranahita-Chevalla project besides according national status to the project.