A dispute over electricity bills led to a temporary power cut at the revered Kanakadurga temple in Vijayawada on Saturday, creating moments of tension and briefly disrupting the shrine's operations. The supply was snapped for nearly an hour before being restored, highlighting a deeper, unresolved conflict between the temple administration and the electricity department.
Power Snapped Over Billing Disagreement
The incident occurred after officials from the electricity department stopped the power supply to the temple, which sits atop the Indrakiladri hill. This action was reportedly taken due to a disagreement over outstanding bills. The power cut lasted for close to an hour, slightly affecting the temple's normal functions. However, temple authorities acted swiftly to minimize disruption for devotees.
To ensure that the worship of the goddess continued without interruption, the management immediately switched to generator power. This quick response meant that the darshan for devotees proceeded smoothly despite the outage. The situation, nevertheless, caused concern among both pilgrims and officials, given the temple's status as one of the most sacred sites in Andhra Pradesh.
The Root of the Conflict: A Solar Power Pact
Following the outage, temple Executive Officer Seena Nayak held urgent discussions with electricity department officials, leading to the restoration of supply. However, this episode has brought a long-standing, larger dispute into sharp focus.
According to temple officials, the core issue stems from a formal agreement made nearly two years ago. Under this pact, a solar plant was set up at the Pamula canal in Apparaopet at a cost of nearly Rs 2 crore. This facility generates approximately 24 megawatts of electricity per day, which is supplied free of cost to the power utility.
In return, the electricity department was to provide free power supply for 10 specific services used by the Kanakadurga temple. The recent controversy erupted when the electricity department started demanding payment for these very services, citing procedural and billing issues.
Violation of Agreement and Public Money at Stake
Temple authorities argue that this demand directly violates the terms of the existing agreement. They contend that it defeats the fundamental purpose of the solar project, which was established as a reciprocal arrangement. Executive Officer Seena Nayak emphasized the gravity of the situation, warning that cancelling the agreement would result in the wastage of the Rs 2 crore of public funds invested in the solar plant.
Nayak has urged power department officials to review the matter carefully and arrive at a fair and pragmatic decision. With both sides holding their ground, the future of this power agreement remains uncertain. Devotees and the public are now keenly watching to see how this dispute, which touches on faith, public infrastructure, and renewable energy, will be resolved.
