Mumbai, Correspondent
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday categorically denied that there is any official load shedding in the state, asserting that the government has successfully managed the recent surge in power demand.
Replying to a query raised by Congress MLA Hemant Ogale during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the State Assembly, the Chief Minister addressed concerns regarding power outages and technical glitches in thermal power projects.
"There has not been a single day of planned load shedding in Maharashtra. While some technical issues were reported in thermal plants, we ensured they did not affect the overall supply to the state," Fadnavis told the House.
He explained that units, including the 660 MW capacity unit at Koradi and others in Nashik, faced temporary technical snags between June 12-13 and June 17-19. To bridge the deficit, the state government utilized mid-term power purchase agreements and additional quotas from the Koyna hydroelectric project.
Addressing complaints of power cuts from certain pockets, the Chief Minister identified two primary reasons: the lingering issue of domestic connections on agricultural feeders and localized transformer failures.
"Under our 'Feeder Separation' scheme, we are providing daytime power to 75 per cent of farmers. However, some households are still connected to agricultural feeders. When those lines are switched off, these residents experience power cuts, which they mistake for load shedding," he explained.
Regarding transformer failures, he noted that the sudden surge in demand led to some equipment failure, which was rectified immediately through proactive maintenance.
Fadnavis highlighted that Maharashtra successfully handled a record peak demand of 32,000 MW this year. Looking forward, the government is bracing for a projected demand of 45,000 MW over the next five years.
"We are already working on comprehensive planning for power generation, procurement, and distribution to meet this future demand," he added, dismissing the Opposition’s claims of an ongoing power crisis in the state.
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