AP Committed to Five-Year Power Tariff Freeze, Says Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar on Wednesday reiterated the State government's commitment to keeping electricity tariffs unchanged for five years, saying the coalition government remained focused on ensuring affordable power while strengthening the State's electricity infrastructure.

Addressing the media, the Minister said Andhra Pradesh was currently recording a daily electricity consumption of nearly 280 million units due to fluctuating weather conditions. Despite the sharp rise in demand and weather-related disruptions, the government had successfully maintained uninterrupted power supply across the State through advance planning and effective grid management.

He noted that strong winds had temporarily affected power lines in some areas, but electricity department personnel were restoring services without delay. Officials were working closely with local public representatives and district administrations to resolve issues quickly and minimise inconvenience to consumers.

Highlighting reforms in the power sector, Mr. Ravi Kumar said the coalition government had introduced a "true-down" mechanism, describing it as a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at improving transparency and financial discipline in electricity management.

The Minister alleged that the power sector had weakened during the previous YSR Congress Party government's tenure but said the present administration, under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, had stabilised the system within a short period through focused administrative measures.

To meet the State's growing industrial and domestic electricity requirements, the government is strengthening AP Transco's transmission network by expanding substations, transformers and other critical infrastructure. He said power sector projects worth nearly Rs.6,000 crore were currently under various stages of implementation and would be completed within the stipulated timelines.

Mr. Ravi Kumar further pointed out that the government had not increased electricity tariffs during the past two years and had now entered its third year without any tariff revision. Reaffirming the government's promise, he said the administration would continue its efforts to improve the operational and financial efficiency of the power sector while honouring its commitment to keep electricity tariffs unchanged for five years.