V. V. Balakrishna Journalist

Thursday, 27 December 2012

CWC Gives Green Signal to Pranahita-Chevella

Intro- Inter-state meet in Hyderabad on Jan 21 to discuss land acquisition in Maharashtra

Graphics
Timeline:
First inter-state agreement signed - 1975
CWC clearance in-principle - April, 2010.
DPR Submitted to CWC - October, 2010
Green signals so far: Central Soil Material Research Station (CSMRS), Construction Machinery Consultancy (CMC) and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).
Clearance awaited: Forest and environment depts ( in Maharashtra area), Planning, cost and utility
Project cost: `40,300 crore
USP: Irrigation to 16.4 lakh acres in Telangana region, drinking water to Hyderabad

by VV Balakrishna
Hyderabad: A major hurdle have been cleared for the Pranahita-Chevella irrigation project with the Central Water Commission (CWC) giving final hydrological clearance for it on Monday.
The CWC, which gave the hydrological clearance in-principle to the project in April, 2010, informed the state government about the final go-ahead.
"We got the CWC clearance. However, two more- from environment and forest departments- are awaited," major irrigation minister Peddi Sudarshan Reddy told Express on Monday.
A green signal was given by the Andhra Pradesh forest department pertaining to land. However, the same for the area in Maharashtra is still pending.
The state government will acquire some land in Maharashtra for the project which will be discussed at an inter-state meeting of engineers-in-chief on January 21 in Hyderabad. The state government is eyeing a major breakthrough at the meeting.
" With the project coming up, as many as 1,852 acres of land in Maharashtra will be submerged. The Maharashtra government is positive over the land acquisition and we hope to get the required clearances soon," the minister said.
Andhra Pradesh government signed the first inter-state agreement with Maharashtra on October 6, 1975 on three projects including the Pranahita-Chevella. The then chief ministers Jalagam Vengala Rao and SB Chavan were the signatories.
Recently, another agreement was signed between Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and his Maharashtra counterpart Prithviraj Chavan on May 5, 2012 in New Delhi. As per the pact, both the states constituted an Inter-state Board, a Standing Committee and a Co-ordination Committee for effective monitoring of the lift irrigation project.
The `40,300-crore project is intended to divert 160 tmcft of water by constructing a barrage across Pranahita river, a major tributary of Godavari. It will ensure irrigation for 16.4 lakh acres of farm land in Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Warangal, Rangareddy, and Nalgonda districts in Telangana region. Further, the project will utilise 20 tmcft of water from Godavari at Yellampally project.The project is expected to be completed by 2018.

Box-1
48 pc of Cost under
PM's Package Likely
Hyderabad: The state government is expecting that minimum 20 to 48 per cent of the poject cost will be coverred under the Prime Minister's package. Earlier, Bhima (Rajiv) lift irrigation scheme got 90 per cent funding from Prime Minister's package, said irrigation minister P Sudarshan Reddy. Recently irrigation officials held talks with the Union water ministry to grant a national project status for Pranahita-Chevella. In that case, the Centre will bear 90 percent of the poject cost.

Saturday, 22 December 2012

State to Spend More to Step up Power Output

State to make presentation at NDC meet on Dec 27

Hyderabad: With almost 25 per cent negative gap between demand and supply in the power sector, the planning department of the state government plans to pump in more funds, two to three times more, to augment power in the 12th five-year plan. Most of the money will be used to increase the installed capacity of power generation.
"The demand and supply gap is 20 to 25 per cent. Andhra Pradesh is a power-deficit state now. We have spent around Rs 7,000 crore in the 11th five-year plan. We want to increase the spending two to three times in the 12th five-year plan," a top official in the department told Express on Thursday.
Planning officials will make a presentation at the National Development Council (NDC) meeting to be held in Delhi on December 27.
Energy is a biggest challenge and it is proposed to augment the generation and supply in the country during the 12th plan period. Once the southern grid is completed, the state's problem in buying power will be solved.
Though the NDC meeting will be chaired by prime minister Manmohan Singh, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy will not attend as he is scheduled to participate in the World Telugu Conference on the same day. Finance minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy will attend, official sources said.
According to sources, the state has an ambitious overall growth rate of 10 per cent, which is more than the national average target of 9 per cent.
The state has a target of 6 per cent in the agricultural sector, 10.5 per cent in industries and 11.45 per cent in services.
"So far the state's performance has been good and has emerged as one of the top four states on this front," an official in the planning department claimed.

Other focus areas
* Peripheral roads will be laid in all cities including tier-II cities. The proposals on ORR and BRTS in Vijayawada are under process.
* Emphasis on farm mechanisation, systemm of rice cultivation, supply of micro-nutrients to crops, storage facilities and food processing units.
* One stadium will be build in each mandal. * Efforts to reduce maternal deaths and infant mortality.
* Technical education to be given more focus
* The 15 flagship programmes of the Centre will be accorded top priority.

Mantris Breathe Fire as Babus Decide Policy

TG Venkatesh's outbursts point to a deeper divide between ministers and officers

Hyderqabad: Several ministers in Kiran Kumar Reddy Cabinet are said to be upset with their secretaries and other officials. It is officers vs ministers for quiet some time in the state.
Minor irrigation minister TG Venkatesh, on Thursday, did not hide his aversion towards IAS officers and called non-performing officers 'sannasis'. Venkatesh has rebuked IAS officers publicly on an earlier occasion too.
There are also several other instances where ministers and officers locked horns. Recently, textiles minister Gaddam Prasad Kumar blamed IAS officers Sabyasachi Ghosh and D Srinivasulu saying they have issued as many as nine government orders (GOs) without his knowledge. The minister lodged a complaint with chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy.
A few months ago, stamps and registration minister Thota Narasimham was shocked when he got to read in newspapers that an order was issued hiking registration fee under certain categories. He wanted to rollback the hike immediately and the government cancelled the GO. The minister, who is supposed to decide policy matters, ended up demanding cancellation of a GO of his own department.
In another instance, when government employees disclosed their recent deliberations with chief secretary Minnie Mathew concerning health cards, some ministers were uncomfortable.
Issuing health cards to around 10 lakh workforce in the state was a major achievement and the ministers did not want the entire credit go to the chief secretary. Though the health cards are supposed to be issued from January 1, it was delayed due to the 'leak' by employees.
Finance minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy called the media hurriedly and announced that it was the chief minister who has to take a decision on health cards.
The alleged differences between infrastructure and investment minister Ganta Srinivas and his secretary Sunil Sharma resulted in the transfer of Sharma early this week.
Likewise, animal husbandry minister P Viswarup was unhappy with his officers for making some shuffling in the department without his knowledge.
The main reason for the differences between mantris and babus is that several ministers are first-timers and the officers were very senior. As a result, the ministers who are expected to ensure that officers deliver the goods, are unable to wield any control over them.
"I was bypassed by my officers as I am a junior minister. My secretaries are seniors," lamented a minister.

QUOTE
I was bypassed by my officers as I am a junior minister. My secretaries are seniors. -a minister
GRAPHIC

THE FUMING FEW
Ganta Srinivas shunted out his secretary Sunil Sharma.

TG Venkatesh gets into the offensive against IAS officers frequently.

Ministers are not ready to allow credit going to the chief secretary and as a result the file pertaining to employees' health cards was delayed.

Viswarupu is unhappy with his officers over the goings-on in his department.

Prasad Kumar and Thota Narasimham are upset over being kept in the dark over GOs of their departments.

Friday, 21 December 2012

Mantri blasts babus, kicks up row

Minor irrigation minister TG Venkatesh is at it again.
Months after he kicked up a storm with his remark that IAS officers who do not perform should be shot dead on the streets, the mantri once again took on the bureaucracy when he said even dishonest officers deliver goods to some extent compared to some honest secretaries.
“Some secretaries do not do any work saying they are honest. If any secretary or officer does not work, he is a ‘Sannasi’ (worthless person), even if he is an honest officer,” the minister said. Even dishonest secretaries deliver at least some goods, he said.
The minister was addressing a media conference as a part of the Praja Hitam programme at the Secretariat. He said principal secretaries needed some sort of training to work better.
The minister said when he took charge as minor irrigation minister, the officers were not up to the mark. Now, the team has a modern outlook in their work, he said.
The minister also explained how he struggled hard to put some systems in place in minor irrigation, APIDC etc.
When Venkatesh made scathing remarks against officials some months ago, it sparked protests from IAS officers, who lodged a complaint with chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. However, the minister did some damage control later.
Now, during his latest outburst, minor irrigation special secretary Pradeep Kumar, who seated beside the minister kept silent, though he appeared to be taken aback.

IAS ASSN HITS BACK
IAS officers association vice-president Prasanta Mahapatra, when asked about the mantri's comments, said he had not heard the comments of TG Venkatesh.
"Yet, I can make some general remarks. Ministers and officers work under the Constitutional framework and ministers run the government. The ministers should trust their officers. If any honest officer was not doing work, then the minister should pinpoint that particular officer," he added.
He said it was the responsibility of the ministers to utilise the services of officers properly. "If the minister fails to do it, he is only wasting public money. Has Venkatesh submitted any note to the chief minister saying that a particular officer was hanging around without any work in the name of honesty?" Mahapatra wondered.
Public should pose these questions to ministers whenever they make comments against officers, he added.

QUOTE
If any secretary or officer does not work, he is a 'Sannasi'. TG Venkatesh, minor irrigation minister

Power tariff may go up from April

More trying times are ahead for power consumers. The power distribution companies are all set to hike power tariff for year 2013-14.
The companies are preparing to file Aggregate Revenue Requirement (ARR) and tariff proposals before the AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC).
“There is a delay in filing the ARR this year. The Discoms have sought a month’s more time,” APERC sources told Express. Normally, Discoms have to file the tariff proposals by November for the next financial year so that APERC will have 120 days’ statutory time to fix new tariff for different categories of consumers.
But, due to various reasons, the Discoms have been filing the ARRs quite late. Last year, they submitted tariff proposals on December 26. This year, the proposals are likely to be submitted in the first week of January. If APERC approves the new tariff, it will come into effect from April 1.
Last year the Discoms had imposed a burden of `4,441 crore on the consumers by increasing the tariff. Domestic consumers were burdened to the tune of Rs 900 crore, and industrial and commercial consumers to the extent of `3,300 cr.
Though APERC officials have confirmed that they are awaiting the tariff proposals for 2013-14, it is not clear how much burden the Discoms are proposing to impose on the consumers.
Last time the Discoms informed the APERC that the cost of service to domestic consumers was `5.46 per unit. But they proposed Rs 1.45 per unit for BPL families for the first 50 units consumed. With Discoms spending huge amounts on power purchases, the cost of service and the revenue deficit have increased considerably. To meet the situation, Discoms are expected to hike the domestic power tariff too.
Power consumers are already burdened with the Fuel Surcharge Adjustments (FSA) for the current as well as previous years, and are not in a position to bear any more burden from April.
When Discoms classified domestic consumers into two groups in April this year and burdened non-BPL families more, they were widespread protests across the state. Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy intervened and reduced the power burden. For consumers having more than 500 watts connected load, the tariff was Rs 2.60 for 0-100 units. Responding to the demand for a rollback, the chief minister decided to pay Rs 175 crore to Discoms on behalf of the power consumers, giving relief to 44.5 lakh poor and middle-class consumers.

Government withdraws ‘phantom’ cases against Jagan

The state government on Monday dropped prosecution against Kadapa MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and others in two cases dating back to the Samaikyandhra agitation in 2009. But if the Kadapa police are to be believed, the YSR Congress leader’s name had never figured in the FIR filed in the two cases and, therefore the question of dropping charges against him did not arise.
Asked how come, the Law Deparment and home minister Sabita Indra Reddy both shrugged their shoulders.
As per the state government’s decision to withdraw cases against people who took part in the pro-Telangana and Samaikyandhra agitations in 2009, R Damodar, secretary to the government (legislative affairs and Justice) issued two GOs on Monday, purporting to state that Jagan Mohan Reddy and other accused would not be prosecuted in the two cases.
As per the mystery GOs, one of the cases was registered by the Pulivendula (Urban) police station against 30 accused under Sections 143, 452, 353 and 436 read with Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code; another case was filed under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Damage of Public Property Act 1984 and Section 7(1) of the Criminal Law Act. In both these cases, as per the GO, Jagan is accused no. 30.
The charges were that the accused burnt a BSNL tower, set fire to a BSNL office, an MRO office and an R&B office. The cases were pending before the assistant sessions judge in Kadapa district.
However, when contacted by Express, the Kadapa police said there was only one case pending against Jagan in Pulivenduala and that was registered in 2011 and it has nothing to do with the Samikyandhra movement of 2009. “There are no such cases pending against Jagan in the Pulivenduala police station dating back to 2009,’’ a police official, requesting anonymity, said.
Elaborating, the source said, “We took legal opinion on dropping cases against 22 accused who participated in the Samaikyandhra agitation in 2009. The 22 names were sent to the government for process. Jagan’s name was not in that list.”
The Kadapa police official confirmed that there were three cases relating to the 2009 Samaikyandhra riots (191, 192 and 193 of 2009) in the Pulivendula Urban police station. They all relate to arson of government property. “Jagan’s name is not there in any of them,” said the source.
Asked how the list of 22 accused in the case ballooned to 30 in Monday’s GOs, law secretary R Damodar told Express that his staff only issued the GOs as per a request by the Home Department. Law Department staff had nothing to do with the names of accused, he said.
And the home minister passed the buck to the Police Department.

Sunday, 16 December 2012

Andhra Pradesh gets power shock

Electricity charges in the state have been hiked as the AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC), after almost 12 years, gave its nod for a hefty rise in power tariff, both domestic and industrial. The new power tariff will be effective from April 1.
However, BPL consumers were not burdened and they would even save Rs 10 every month, provided they consume 100 units or less. Also, there is no change in power tariff for agricultural consumers.
APERC secretary MD Manohar Raju released the new tariff details to the media here on Friday.
The hike was a deviation from Congress party’s election promise that electricity charges will not be increased till 2014. The late YS Rajasekhara Reddy opposed the power tariff hike in 2000 by the then TDP government. The Congress promised no hike in power tariff when it regained power the second time in 2009.
Now, the additional burden on consumers would be around Rs 4,441 crore per year. The APERC created another category, LT 1 (A), for domestic consumers with contracted load of below 500 watts. This is aimed at helping BPL consumers who use less power.
Domestic consumers having a contracted load of 500 watts and use only 100 units per month would pay Rs 10 less under the new tariff. Tariff for the first 50 units remained unchanged at Rs 1.45 per unit.
The tariff for 51 to 100 units, which was Rs 2.80 earlier, was reduced to Rs 2.60 now under the newly created LT 1(A) category.
Thus, domestic consumers would save Rs 10 every month if they consume only 100 units. The tariff for domestic consumers was hiked up to Rs 1.50 per unit.
The minimum tariff under LT 1(A) would be Rs 1.45 for the first 50 units.
As the consumers use more power,they have to pay more.
For a usage of 500 units or more, the unit rate would be Rs 7.25 under the telescopic system. Though, the discoms proposed a total hike of Rs 4,941 crore, the APERC finally agreed to increase charges to the tune of Rs 4,441 crore.
The state government made a commitment to provide Rs 5,358.67 crore subsidy to discoms to overcome revenue deficit.