Minister calls for efficient power use

Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar has directed officials to create widespread awareness among the public regarding efficient electricity consumption.

Encouraging consumers to use electricity during daylight hours could reduce the strain on the power system during the night and peak demand periods, he said. He also suggested promoting renewable energy sources and conducting extensive outreach for the ‘PM Surya Ghar’ scheme to increase the installation of rooftop solar power systems.

The Minister along with Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat, MLAs Palla Srinivasa Rao and Velagapudi Ramakrishna APEPDCL CMD Pruthvi Tej Immadi handed over appointment letters to 43 eligible candidates appointed on compassionate grounds at a programme held on Monday at the APEPDCL corporate office in Visakhapatnam.

Mr. Ravi Kumar said that in addition to increasing power generation capacity, the distribution system was also being strengthened.

He said that expediting the completion of pending substation projects, establishing new substations, strengthening transmission infrastructure, and implementing underground cabling in urban areas are being taken up in urban areas.

He emphasised that the Electricity Department played a pivotal role in attracting investments and creating employment opportunities by ensuring uninterrupted power supply to industries.

The Minister said that the alliance government is committed to supporting the families of electricity employees who died while on duty and is providing compassionate appointments to their family members expeditiously.

He said that the government is expediting appointments that had been pending for the past two-and-a-half to three years, to ensure eligible families did not have to make repeated visits to government offices for compassionate appointments.

“So far, over 445 compassionate appointments have been made across the three power distribution companies as well as the transmission and generation corporations,” he said.

The Minister said approximately 6,500 to 7,000 personnel have been brought into the Electricity Department by absorbing energy assistants in Village Secretariats into the department. Further, he said 629 assistant engineer posts in the Electricity Department were also being filled through a transparent recruitment process.

MP Sribharat advised the newly recruited employees to work responsibly, and do justice to both their profession and their families.

Speaking on the occasion, TDP State president Palla Srinivasa Rao stated that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is prioritising compassionate appointments to support the families of employees facing hardships.

Later, the Minister visited the APEPDCL 1912 call centre to inspect its operations. He enquired about consumer complaints, staff’s response to them, and the time taken to resolve the issues. The Minister personally observed how the call center staff interacted with consumers and even spoke directly to some consumers to understand their grievances.

Earlier in the day, the Minister commissioned a 220-kV gas-insulated substation at Achutapuram in Anakapalli district constructed at a cost of ₹77.29 crore as part of efforts to strengthen power infrastructure in the rapidly industrialising region.