TDP blames CM Jagan for Andhra power crisis

The opposition TDP has blamed the Jaganmohan Reddy administration for the “power crisis” in Andhra Pradesh.

The party said that long hours of unannounced electricity cuts are troubling the public in various parts of the state, while industries were told to go for a power holiday once a week in addition to other restrictions on power consumption.

Even patients in hospitals are suffering in some areas because of the power cuts. A woman delivered her baby in the Narsipatnam Area Hospital on Wednesday night with the procedure reportedly carried out by the hospital staff with the help of the light from mobile phone torches and candles.

The TDP leaders who are protesting the hiked electricity charges are now out in the streets distributing lanterns, hand fans, candles and match boxes to the “aggrieved” households.

Also read: Over 7L children left private schools to join govt schools after I became the CM: Jagan

“A state which was illuminated with abundant power is now pushed into darkness. What answer would the Chief Minister give to pregnant and lactating women suffering in maternity hospitals?” former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu questioned on Thursday.

The opposition leader demanded the YSRCP to tell the people “why power cuts are being implemented even though they were paying huge current bills without fail.”

Outgoing YSRCP minister for information and public relations Perni Venkataramaiah though held the previous TDP and the present Narendra Modi led governments at the centre for the situation.

“While the Naidu government has saddled us with power debts of about Rs 22,000 crore, the Modi government has changed rules disallowing power purchases till old dues are settled. We are still trying our best to ease the situation,” Perni told reporters.

Meanwhile, the AP energy department officials have directed the industries to go for a power holiday once a week in addition to their weekly off while asking the units operating round the clock to limit their consumption to 50%. Malls, establishments were advised to reduce AC use.

The measures in the wake of the power supply deficit is to provide relief to the farmers and domestic households, officials said. The state is presently going through a daily deficit of about 50 million units.