Port Blair, Mar 09: Mr. N. Peddi Raju, State President of Andaman Nicobar Vidyut Shramik Sangh has written a letter to Mr. Raj Kumar Singh, the Minister of Power, urging him to commission a 50 MW Power Plant in South Andaman under the Government Sector.
The letter highlights the acute power shortages in Port Blair & South Andaman, where the peak demand has risen to 45 MW.The Department of Electricity in the area is having two Power Houses, of which only 6-7 MW is being met, and the rest of the demand is met through the hiring of private Power Plants.
Due to the limited government share in hand compared to the hiring power plants of private firms, the management of power supply is hampered and load shedding is exercised during evening peak hours on a rotational basis throughout Port Blair and South Andaman. This has led to the suffering of the students during the CBSE board examinations.
Mr. Raju pointed out that the hiring period is limited to 2-3 years, and on the expiry of the hiring period, the tender has to be floated prior to the expiry of the tender by the department. Considerable time is taken by the contractors for commissioning a 5-10 MW plant on the expiry of every contract, leading to power shortages for the general public of these Islands. The demand for power is increasing day by day in these Islands, with the development of tourism activities in these Islands.
Mr. Raju therefore, requested the Minister to take the necessary action for the establishment of a 50 MW Power Plant in South Andaman under the Government Sector. This will be a long-term solution to the power crisis and ensure that tourism activities are not affected.
