Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Andhra Pradesh Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar declared that the coalition government is committed to reducing power tariffs by the time the next elections arrive, aligning with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s vision for affordable energy access. The Minister was speaking at the inauguration of the Rs.14-crore state-of-the-art Super ECBC Training Centre built by APEPDCL in Visakhapatnam on Friday.

Highlighting the facility as a model of energy efficiency, the Minister noted that the Super ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Code) compliant building is expected to save over 40% in electricity consumption and will emerge as the premier power sector training centre in the country. The centre is equipped with modern labs for SCADA, RMU, transformer testing, and meter diagnostics, and will provide induction training to newly recruited employees.

The Minister also handed over appointment letters to 20 candidates under the 'compassionate appointments' scheme—family members of electricity department employees who lost their lives on duty. “In the last 13 months alone, we have issued over 180 compassionate appointments across the state,” he said, asserting that this reflects the sincerity of the current government.

He added that the state is investing Rs.120 crore to bring power to remote tribal villages and settlements that lacked electricity even 75 years after Independence. In areas like tiger reserves where power lines are unfeasible, solar panels and battery storage systems are being deployed to ensure round-the-clock supply.

Emphasizing the state’s transition to green energy, the Minister revealed that the government is working with the Centre to roll out 20 lakh solar connections and plans to provide at least 10,000 rooftop solar units in each assembly constituency. “We are accelerating solar connections and supporting local manufacturers to overcome supply constraints,” he noted. He assured that under the PM-KUSUM scheme, farmers will receive nine hours of quality power during the day in the upcoming agricultural season.

The event concluded with visits to the SCADA building and gas-insulated substation in Pedawaltair, where dignitaries including Minister Ravi Kumar, CS Vijayanand, and CMD Prithvi Tej planted saplings. Visakhapatnam District Collector M.N. Harendra Prasad, senior APEPDCL officials, and public representatives were also present.