By Pramod Chaturvedi
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 23 (ANI): Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy on Wednesday hit back at BRS Working President KT Rama Rao accusing the previous BRS government of misleading people on electricity-related issues and making several irregularities in the power sector.
Responding to KTR’s recent remarks, Bhuvanagiri Lok Sabha MP Chamala alleged that the BRS was trying to create a political controversy over the electricity situation and was sending party leaders in teams to power stations.
He also questioned KTR’s claims that former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had fought for lower electricity charges.
The Congress MP said KCR was still with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) when the Bashir Bagh firing incident took place in 2000 and alleged that he left the TDP in 2001 after differences over the positions offered to him. “KTR should know the history,” he said.
Kiran Kumar Reddy claimed that the Congress had championed free electricity for farmers and alleged that the DISCOMs accumulated around Rs 81,000 crore in debt during the BRS regime.
He also questioned the previous government’s decision to purchase 1,000 MW of electricity from Chhattisgarh, alleging that irregularities occurred in the deal despite the availability of electricity from other States at potentially lower prices.
The MP further alleged financial losses in the Bhadradri Thermal Power Plant project, claiming that subcritical technology was used instead of supercritical technology, resulting in a loss of about ₹1,000 crore.
He also alleged that the Yadadri power project was awarded to BHEL through the nomination process without open bidding and claimed that commissions were involved.
“Several irregularities took place in the power sector in the name of development,” he alleged.
Kiran Kumar Reddy also questioned the assets of former Electricity Minister G. Jagadish Reddy, asking how he acquired his farmhouses.
He said the Congress government had records relating to alleged irregularities in various projects and warned that details concerning BRS leaders would be brought out “one by one” in the coming days.
On the agricultural situation, the MP said El Niño and its possible impact on rainfall and agriculture were being discussed across the country. He alleged that the BRS was attempting to politicise the difficulties faced by farmers and shift the blame for drought-related problems onto the Congress government.
He said the government was creating awareness among farmers to diversify crops instead of depending excessively on paddy cultivation and asserted that efforts were being made to ensure uninterrupted power supply to farmers and the public.
Kiran Kumar Reddy further alleged that the BRS was attempting to divert public attention from alleged controversies involving farmhouses and was provoking farmers for political gain.
He said the people and farmers would not accept what he described as the BRS’s political approach and alleged that the previous government had turned Telangana from a surplus State into a debt-burdened State during its 10-year tenure. (ANI)
Congress MP Kiran Kumar Reddy hits back at KTR over electricity, farmers’ issues
