With the state facing its worst-ever energy crisis, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Wednesday announced several initiatives to help industry, especially the small-scale sector. These measures would reduce the financial burden on the industrial units which were spending heavily to secure power from alternative sources due to shortage of supply from the state-owned utilities.
Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy said that the Value Added Tax on diesel consumed by the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) during power cuts would be reimbursed. Charges levied by APTransco for transmitting power to industries would also be waived if the latter purchased power from the open market or agreed to pay to obtain RLNG-based power from the West Coast. The government, in principle, had also decided to waive electricity duty levied on captive power generating units. “A final decision will be taken by the Cabinet,” he said, adding that the government would focus on energy conservation, which he said would have to begin right from him, the ministers and other government servants.
Speaking to mediapersons here, Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy said at present there was a shortage of 70 million units. The government was buying 28.6 million units every day by spending Rs 15 crore and the state was ready to buy more but the transmission corridor was not available. The Chief Minister also appealed to the public and the Opposition parties to understand the problem and cooperate with the government in overcoming the crisis. “Burning sub-stations or transformers will only add to the problem,” he said, referring to agitators turning violent during their protests against the erratic power supply across the state.