Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu unveiled a white paper on the state’s power sector this afternoon, highlighting his administration’s achievements and criticizing the YS Jagan government’s handling of the sector.
“We have advocated for people-centric governance and state prosperity,” Chandrababu declared, expressing gratitude for public support in positioning the alliance favorably. He emphasized the necessity of transparent communication through white papers across all government departments, stressing that effective governance enhances the lives of the poor while poor governance exacerbates difficulties.
“The power sector is crucial to everyone’s life and directly impacts living standards,” Chandrababu remarked, underscoring the sector’s state upon his assumption of power in 2014, citing electricity shortages. “Over the past five years, the power sector has faced significant setbacks under the YS Jagan government,” he lamented.
Chandrababu recalled implementing power reforms in 1998, establishing the country’s first regulatory commission in Andhra Pradesh despite losing power in 2004. He credited these reforms for national improvement, noting the state’s journey from an electricity deficit in December 2014 to surplus by January 2018. Peak demand increased from 6,784 MW to 9,453 MW, with consumption rising from 40,174 million units to 54,555 million units, achieved without power cuts, tariff hikes, or compromised quality.
“During our tenure, we introduced two thermal power stations, VTPS and Krishnapatnam, and achieved top rankings in energy efficiency,” Chandrababu asserted, highlighting 145 awards conferred on the power sector under his administration. He contrasted these achievements with the YS Jagan government’s governance from 2019 to 2024, citing increased consumer burdens of Rs 32,166 crore, rising debts of AP power companies to Rs 49,596 crore, and sector losses amounting to Rs 47,741 crore due to inefficiencies.
