‘Telangana Vidyuthu Vijayotsavam’ celebrated across State

Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy hoisted the national flag at the Vattikampandu substation in Suryapet to begin the celebrations

Hyderabad: The ‘Telangana Vidyuthu Vijayotsavam’ was observed on Monday as part of the Formation Day celebrations across the State to highlight the achievements in the field of power. Several programmes and events were organised to mark the occasion.

Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy hoisted the national flag at the Vattikampandu substation in Suryapet to begin the celebrations. He called upon officials and employees of the power department to re-dedicate themselves to the cause of the people of the State and renew their commitments and excellence in work.

---

The Minister appreciated the efforts of the employees for turning Telangana from a power shortage State to power surplus. “When Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, it was a power-deficit State. It was due to sheer hard work of power staff and the able guidance of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao that we overcame the power crisis. In the last nine years, the government has taken a series of measures to change the situation and boost energy production,”he said.

Chairman and Managing Director of TS Genco & Transco D Prabhakar Rao, who took part in ‘Telangana Vidyuthu Vijayotsavam’ programme at Vidyut Soudha, recollected the challenges he and his team faced in the initial days of State formation and how within a span on less than one year they could overcome power shortages. “Today we are in a position to supply round-the -clock power to all our consumers. All the credit goes to engineers and employees who worked tirelessly to make the State self- sufficient in power,”he said.

Stating that in the last nine years Rs.14,063 crore have been spent for improving the transmission system, SPDCL Chairman & Managing Director G Raghuma Reddy said due to the availability of uninterrupted power, several multinational companies were coming forward to invest in the State. Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender, who participated in the celebrations, said when the State was formed there was shortage of power, however, under the able guidance of the Chief Minister today the State has become self sufficient in power.

Meanwhile, Bharat Rashtra Samithi(BRS) MLC K Kavitha, while congratulating Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) employees and coal miners for their contribution in the progress of the company, recalled that the long cherished dream of coal miners to get employment for their kins was fulfilled by the Chief Minister by reintroducing dependent employment.

So far about 15,000 family members of the coal miners have benefited through dependent employment, she said, adding that the company used to provide Rs. 10 lakh initially to those who did not want a compassionate job, but after Telangana State came into existence it was increased to Rs.25 lakh. “The Chief Minister is providing an opportunity to inherit jobs not only to sons but also to daughters and daughters-in-law,” she said.

Listing out various welfare schemes being provided to Singareni employees and their family members, the MLC said the State government was providing free electricity and air conditioning facilities for Singareni quarters, interest-free home loan up to Rs.10 lakh, two years child care leave for women workers, jobs for the disabled and free medical facilities for parents in Singareni area hospitals.

The government was providing fee reimbursement for Singareni workers’ children studying in IITs , IIMs, and medical colleges, she reminded. The Singareni company under the guidance of the Chief Minister has been growing at a rapid speed and registering huge profits, she said, adding that the company apart from producing coal was also generating power through its own thermal and solar plants, besides providing jobs to thousands of people.

Earlier, speaking at the formation day celebration organised at Singareni Bhavan, Chairman and Managing Director of the company N Sridhar said the turnover, profits, coal production and transportation targets achieved by the company after the formation of the State was unprecedented.

Stating that Singareni has achieved growth which no other public sector organization in the country has achieved in the last 9 years, Sridhar said the company had set a target of increasing coal production to 100 million tonnes, turnover to Rs. 50,000 crore and power generation to 4,000 MW. The best employees and officers were felicitated on the occasion.

Power employees took part in large numbers in the ‘Telangana Vidyuthu Vijayotsavam’ across the State.