Revanth Reddy took exception to the claims of BRS that they had brought revolutionary changes in the power sector.
Published Jul 30, 2024 | 12:01 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 30, 2024 | 9:52 AM
File photo of Telangana chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. (revanthofficial/Facebook)
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday, 29 July, came down like a ton of bricks on the Opposition BRS, accusing it of indulging in corruption of monumental proportions in the power purchase agreements with Chhattisgarh, and setting up of Bhadradri and Yadadri Power plants when it was in power in the state.
Tearing the BRS apart during a discussion on budget demands, the chief minister said that it was strange that the Opposition party, which had dared the Congress government to order an inquiry, had tried to get a court order for scrapping the commission after realising that the inquiry would open the lid on a can of worms.
He said: “The former BRS Minister G Jagdish Reddy himself had sought inquiry, posing as though they were descendants of Satya Harichandra. When we constituted a commission, KCR did not honour the summons and instead went to the court seeking quashing of the commission. When he did not get a favourable verdict in the High Court, he went to the Supreme Court too, where the apex court dismissed his petition but allowed changing the inquiry commission’s chairman. The order said that the inquiry could go on if we appoint a new chairperson, which we will do.”
Revanth Reddy took exception to the claims of the BRS that they had brought revolutionary changes in the power sector when the truth is entirely different.
“When YS Rajasekhar Reddy was the chief minister of the undivided Andhra Pradesh, he had laid the foundation for augmenting power supply to Hyderabad, which attracted investments. Later on, it was central minister S Jaipal Reddy who brought pressure on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and had an order issued that the division of assets that generate power should be divided between the two sibling states on the basis of consumption of power rather than their location. Accordingly, Telangana state got 53.46 percent of the total generation of power while Andhra only got 46.54 percent.”
He recalled how he was bundled out of the Assembly at the insistence of the then chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, even though he was in the TDP then and tried to explain how the Congress had helped in stabilising power sector in the state.
“The BRS is talking highly about augmenting solar energy generation in the state. It was the private companies who had added solar energy capacity in the state. The BRS could get only one MW of solar power to the state,” he said.
Revanth Reddy pointed out that the previous government had said it was determined to complete the Bhadradri Power plant within two years. “But it has taken seven years. It may take another two years. We have ordered judicial inquiry to expose corruption in the execution of the Bhadradri and Yadadri power plants. If the BRS leaders continue to say lies, I would not stop speaking the truth,” he added.
Earlier, former energy minister and BRS MLA G Jagadish Reddy said that the Congress was in the habit of misleading the house. “The ruling party tried to mislead the house that the BRS had signed an agreement with the centre for installation of smart meters for agriculture pump sets. Now the Congress leaders were saying that KCR had not done anything for the power sector.”
“The Congress is trying to paint a picture that the BRS had resorted to corruption in power purchase agreements but how could it happen as they were between Telangana and Chhattisgarh governments. He said that the Congress was saying that the BRS had not done anything during its 10-year-rule and if that is the case, what has the Congress done since it came to power about eight months ago?” he asked.
At one stage, the verbal spat between the chief minister and Jagadish Reddy reached a flash point. Both of them said that the other would go to jail. It started with Revanth Reddy saying that Jagadish Reddy sounds as though he is already in Chanchalguda jail.
Jagadish Reddy has been projecting KCR as the reincarnation of Satya Harishchandra, he said. Cut to the quick, Jagadish Reddy said that it looks as though Revanth Reddy was dwelling on his stay in Charlapalli jail. He said every one knows why Revanth Reddy went to jail. “I also went to jail, but for the cause of Telangana. Everyone knows why Revanth Reddy went to jail” he added, without mentioning the fact that Revanth Reddy was in jail for one month after his arrest in vote for note scam that rocked Telangana in 2015.
BJP member K Venkata Ramana stressed the need for healthy debate in the Assembly rather than parties indulging in mutual recrimination. Both the BRS and the Congress have to give clarity on the allegations they made against each other. CPI member K Sambasiva Rao demanded inquiry into the irregularities in the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL).
(Edited by Neena)
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