The Visakhapatnam Autonagar Small-scale Industrialists' Welfare Association has criticised the decision of the Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Ltd (APEPDCL) to impose power holiday for one day every week with effect from Thursday and said it will adversely affect the units and the workers employed in them.
Mr Ramakrishna Narapareddy, President of the association, said here on Thursday that the decision of APEPDCL had come as a shock to the units.
“We are completely taken aback by the decision and it will be very difficult for the smaller units to survive,” he said.
He said there were 600 or small units in the industrial estate, including the apparel park, and 500 of them were functioning.
“A hundred or more are on the anvil, including many in the apparel park. Such a decision at this juncture will prove ruinous to the units.
"We were given an assurance by no less a personage than the Chief Minister that there would be no problem on the power front, but their actions do not match their words,” he said. He said APEPDCL had imposed power holiday for one day every week and on Sunday there would be no work. Again, on the other days, there were peak-load restrictions.
Ancillary units
“Many of the units are ancillaries to the public sector units such as the BHPV, the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and the Hindusthan Shipyard Ltd. We will not be able to supply them with the required products if power holiday is declared and our reputation will be ruined.
Power woes
“The small units are facing a great many difficulties and the power holiday will add to their woes,” he said.
Mr Ramakrishna wanted APEPDCL to reconsider the decision and also made an appeal to the State Government to go to the rescue of the small units in Visakhapatnam and elsewhere.
In response to a question, he said even collectively the smaller units would not be able to afford setting up captive power facilities.