The Union government has decided to allocate 200 mega watts of extra power to Andhra Pradesh between August 2014 and March 2015 to meet its acute shortage of electricity, stated Union Minister of State for Power Piyush Goyal.
Goyal said that Andhra Pradesh, which is facing severe power shortages, will be transformed into a 'solar hub', by encouraging alternative sources of power generation like solar power.
The minister claimed that power cuts in AP have come down in the last three months.
Goyal met the state's Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Hyderabad on Sunday and discussed the power situation in the state for two hours.
Andhra Pradesh has been facing severe power shortages, especially after the bifurcation of Telangana. Naidu has also concentrated primarily to provide sufficient power to consumers, especially the farming sector.
Speaking to the media, the minister said that he and Naidu discussed the problems the state government is facing over generating additional power.
Goyal expressed confidence that AP could get 500 mega watts of supply by September and another 500 mega watts by January 2015.
The Union government will constitute a committee to sort out the differences between AP and Telangana over sharing available power, generating resources and other related infrastructure, Goyal said.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs M Venkaiah Naidu, who was also in Hyderabad on Sunday, said that both governments in AP and Telangana should strive to fulfill the promises made to the people during the April/May elections.
People are keenly observing every decision the two state governments have taken so far, Naidu said.
The minister told the media that both AP and Telangana governments should solve the problems between them through discussions.
The ongoing session of the Parliament would not be adjourned abruptly, Naidu said.
Telangana to encourage floriculture
Keeping in view of the vital demand for flowers in Hyderabad and the future demand for decorative flowers, Telangana government has decided to give impetus for floriculture in the state. The state horticuluture department has prepared a plan for this.
In the first phase, the state government has planned to develop floriculture in 1,000 acres by extending sops to farmers.
The National Horticulture Board, under the Union Ministry of Agriculture, and banks provide fiscal aid to farmers to take up floriculture, the government said. The Board has decided to provide Rs 261.40 crore fiscal aid to Telangana to take up floriculture in 1,000 acres.
The Board has also recommended banks to give loans to floriculture farmers on zero interest rate.
The Board has also proposed to the state government to give free power and floriculture training to the farmers. The Board has also asked the state to provide flower auction centres and cold storages in Hyderabad as part of marketing facilities to the farmers.
