Zero Power Cuts For Maha Shivaratri, Says Minister

: Determined to ensure uninterrupted Maha Shivaratri celebrations in Andhra Pradesh, Power Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar on Wednesday directed AP DISCOMs to maintain zero power outage in all temples and surrounding areas throughout the festival.

During the high-level teleconference attended by DISCOM CMDs L. Siva Sankar, I. Prudhvi Tej and P. Pulla Reddy and senior Power Ministry officials, the Minister reviewed the preparatory measures considering the expected number of devotees at major Shiva temples. He emphasized that uninterruptible power supply is vital for the smooth running of religious programs and the safety and comfort of pilgrims.

Describing it as a priority task, Ravi Kumar instructed officials to deploy backup power systems when necessary and ensure 24-hour availability of maintenance teams. He ordered preventive inspections of feeders, transformers and distribution lines to prevent malfunctions and directed that emergency restoration mechanisms be kept operational with field officers on high alert throughout the festive period.

Later in Amaravati, the Minister reiterated the coalition government’s commitment to employee welfare and structural reforms in the power sector. Publishing the diary and calendar of Andhra Pradesh Electricity BC Employees Welfare Association in the Secretariat in the presence of MLA Kuna Ravi Kumar, he said that the government led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is addressing the problems of employees on priority.

He announced new hires to ease workload pressure and assured that concerns about health insurance limits would be looked into. Ravi Kumar claimed that Andhra Pradesh is the only state that has converted True-Up charges into True-Down benefits, while also restricting expensive private power purchases and achieving record production through optimum use of state resources.

Leaders of the association, including President Polaki Srinivasa Rao, PRC, DA thanked the government for the decisions on staff increases and compassionate appointments and reaffirmed the commitment of the employees to provide quality services to the public.