New Delhi, Aug 3: Shri R. Sachithanantham, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Dindigul, Tamil Nadu accompanied by D. Ayyappan, State Secretary, CPI (M) Andaman and Nicobar Islands on 31st July, 2025 met Shri Manohar Lall Khattar, Minister of Power, Government of India at his office at Parliament House, New Delhi and submitted a letter forwarding a memorandum from the CPI (M) Andaman & Nicobar State Organising Committee. CPI (M) Memorandum stated that the power generation in the Port Blair town and adjoining rural South Andaman areas were partially handed over to private firms, after shutting down the generator sets of the government-run power houses of the Electricity Department.
CPI (M) stated in the Memorandum that during the last several years, the Port Blair and nearby rural South Andaman areas, having a combined population of more than three lakhs, have been facing acute power shortage while remedial measures to address this issue is still lacking. CPI (M) MP R. Satchithanantham and the State Secretary D. Ayyappan told the Minister of Power that at present, about 48 MW power is required to meet the needs of the people of the above areas, but the Electricity Department is getting less than 40 MW and there is a shortfall of 7 to 10 MW which is adjusted through intensive power cut, causing unexplainable difficulties for the people especially to the students. Considering the recent increased power disruption at Port Blair and nearby rural areas, CPI (M) A & N State Secretary urged the Minister to arrange diesel generating sets to be installed at Port Blair on war footing to tide over the present situation. However, the Minister of Power ruled out the suggestion citing production costs.
CPI (M) urged upon the Minister of Power to take immediate steps to provide solar power back up battery system at the 20 MW Solar Power Plant at Port Blair in order to avoid frequent disruptions in the power supply from the Solar Power Plant which will be of immense help to the people.
CPI (M) has also urged the Union Power Minister to install ground mounted or floating solar plants with adequate battery back up at 7 – 8 different places in the union territory. The CPI (M) suggested that grid-connected solar roof-top plants may also be installed at residential buildings at Port Blair and other areas to meet the power shortage. CPI (M) State Secretary suggested that thousands of houses and other buildings can be identified where the roof-top solar plants of lesser capacity can be installed.
As regards the proposal pending with the Power Ministry to install a 50 MW–capacity LNG Power Plant at Hopetown in the rural South Andaman, D. Ayyappan, CPI (M) State Secretary urged upon the Minister of Power to process the proposal favourably and take immediate steps to implement the project which will be able to meet the entire power requirement of the people of Port Blair and rural South Andaman areas.
Opposing the Govt. of India’s move to privatize the power sector in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, D. Ayyappan urged the Minister to keep the power sector in A & N Islands under the government in order to protect the jobs of about two thousand engineers, employees and workers working in the Electricity Department and further urged the Minister to revive government power generation plants throughout Andaman & Nicobar Islands. CPI (M) MP from Tamil Nadu and A & N State Secretary urged the Minister to treat the union territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands in a special category in order to have permanent solution to the power disruption and to meet the growing needs of the people. The Minister of Power assured to look into the issues raised by the CPI (M).