Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, spoke to Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Pulok Chatterjee on Monday night seeking additional power particularly to save the standing crops, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh immediately came to the rescue of Andhra Pradesh facing severe power shortage, on Tuesday.

As per the Prime Minister's directions, the Eastern Grid will be providing 800 mw power from 11 pm to 6 am and the Haryana government will be providing 200 mw round-the-clock from Jhajjar power plant. Inturn the energy coordination cell has appealed to people to use power in a prudent manner and save energy to overcome the crisis situation in the state.

According to a statement, the State Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, thanked the Prime Minister for coming to the State's rescue at this crucial juncture. The Prime Minister's directive comes in the backdrop of the State's request to help tide over the current power demand-supply crisis faced due to dwindling coal supplies.

All thermal stations in the state are hit by the ongoing T employees strike as the miners of Singareni have joined the stir since September 13. The NTPC thermal station at Ramagundam has been generating only 1,400 mw out of its installed capacity of 2,600 mw as it depends on Singareni for coal supplies.

The Hydel generation which was around 65 MU per day is now 39 MU per day. The power deficit has reached 48 MU on October 1 with the demand at 275 MU, against last year's 223 MU.