In an address to the Assembly on Friday, Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar revealed that the State of Andhra Pradesh currently boasts 22,30,703 free agricultural electricity connections, with efforts underway to bolster supply and reinforce the power sector. The announcement came in response to a question posed by MLA Konathala Ramakrishna during Question Hour.
Since the coalition government, led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, took office, 1,02,538 new agricultural electricity connections have been sanctioned across the three DISCOMs. Despite a backlog of approximately 46,000 applications, the Minister assured that all outstanding applications will be addressed before the next agricultural season. During the financial year 2025–26, the three DISCOMs allocated Rs 839.44 crore towards providing free power to farmers.
Under the PM-KUSUM scheme, an impressive 2,61,481 agricultural power connections have been sanctioned within the State so far. The Minister also highlighted that feeder-level solar projects are anticipated to bring a significant reduction in government power purchase cost, amounting to approximately Rs 1,059 crore.
In a separate response during the Assembly session, the Energy Minister announced plans to fill the current vacancies within Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL). A total of 2,947 positions are currently vacant in APEPDCL, and the government is taking measures to address this issue. The Minister also emphasized the importance of ensuring an adequate supply of Assistant Engineers and linemen within the power sector.
