Andhra CM inaugurates thermal plant amid protests
Trade unions are opposing the decision to engage private parties for operation and maintenance
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy dedicating to the nation the third unit of Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station at Nelaturu near Nellore on Thursday
Nellore: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday dedicated to the nation the third unit of the Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah Thermal Power Station (SDSTP) at Nelaturu aimed at supplying 19 million units of power to the AP Grid daily.
He said the 800 MW unit, an extension of the existing two units, was built with Super Critical Technology (SCT) by the APGENCO, the first of its kind in the country and would help in less consumption of coal besides contributing to lessening of pollution. Speaking at a largely attended public meeting near the plant site, the Chief Minister described the dedication of the unit to the nation as a step forward in power generation in the State and said he was blessed to dedicate to the nation the 800 MW unit for which foundation stone was laid by his father-late Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in 2008.
Thanking the farmers profusely for sacrificing their lands for the thermal power station and the Krishnapatnam port, he distributed compensation to the tune of Rs 35.74 crore to 16,128 farmer families by pressing the button and facilitating direct transfer of funds to their bank accounts. The visit of the Chief Minister was marred by black balloon and placard protests by the Left trade unions and others who are on a protest against the State government's decision to privatise the unit for operation and maintenance (O&M) due to high production cost. While CITU State president Ch Narsinga Rao alleged that there was an attempt to hand over the plant to Adani Group, social activist and retired IAS officer strongly opposed the attempts to hand over the O&M contract to a private party.
Referring to the long wait of farmers who sacrificed their lands, the Chief Minister said that the TDP regime subjected them to plethora of difficulties while paying even Rs14,000 each to 3.500 farmers. Besides paying them the balance amount, his government is only pleased to pay full compensation to the remaining 12,787 farmer-families, taking their total number to16,128.
Reddy said that while 326 families were already provided employment, orders were issued to give employment to another 150 families in the second phase by November-end. He said that the dedicated unit, for which Rs 3,200 crore was allotted after YSRCP came to power, will cater to the increasing demands of energy in housing, commercial and industrial sectors besides supplying power to the agricultural sector to meet the nine-hour free supply of power daily.
While 45 per cent of the energy demand in the State is being met by APGENCO-generated power, the third unit will supply 19 million units of power to the AP Grid daily.
On the request of YSRCP MLA Nallapureddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy, the Chief Minister sanctioned Rs 93 crore for constructing submersible check dam over Penna River for preventing back water accumulations and supplying water to four mandals in the district. He also renamed the recently inaugurated Nellore Barrage as Nallapureddy Srinivasa Reddy Barrage.
Earlier, he also laid the foundation stone for a fishing jetty at Nelaturu village that will be constructed at a cost of Rs 25 crore to facilitate the docking of 450 fishing boats.
In response to the appeal made by the Minister for Agriculture and Cooperation Kakani Govardhana Reddy earlier, the Chief Minister sanctioned Rs 21.40 crore for developmental works in Sarvepalli constituency.
