Published Dec 21, 2023 | 5:07 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 21, 2023 | 5:08 PM
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. (X)
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday, 21 December, ordered a judicial inquiry into the alleged irregularities in power purchase agreements with Chhattisgarh, charges of corruption running into thousands of crores of rupees in the execution of Bhadradri Power Project, and the inordinate delay in the completion of the Yadadri Power Plant.
The Yadadri project was allegedly delayed due to the use outdated sub-critical technology.
Intervening in a debate on a white paper on the power sector tabled in the state Assembly, the chief minister, reacting to former energy minister G Jagadish Reddy daring the Congress government to order a judicial inquiry into the allegations, ordered the probe. Jagadish Reddy said the previous BRS government had not resorted to any irregularities.
The chief minister said that the power purchase agreements with Chhattisgarh were signed without inviting tenders. “When we raised the issue and confronted the then government in the Assembly, it had us bundled out using marshals,” he said, adding that the government had transferred an employee to a remote place after he spoke the truth about the agreements.
Revanth Reddy said the government signed agreements with Chhattisgarh for 1,000 MW, which placed an additional burden of ₹1,362 crore on the state exchequer. In the Bhadradri project, corruption amounting to thousands of crores of rupees had taken place, he alleged.
He offered to constitute an all-party committee to visit electric sub-stations and verify if 24-hour power supply was ensured when the BRS was in power. If the BRS’s claims that it had supplied power round the clock, the chief minister said he was ready to appreciate it.
If not, let the people know the truth, he said. He also wanted to know where the logbooks at the power stations had gone after the present Roads and Buildings Minister, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, who was then an MP, found from the book that the power supply was never more than 12 hours a day.
Tracing the history of the Yadadri power station, Revanth Reddy said that it was to be completed within 24 months from the date of laying its foundation stone in June 2015. However, it has not yet been completed. Even now estimates were being revised and would take up to 2024-25 for completion.
The previous government had been saying that it had increased the installed capacity of the state power utilities from 7,778 MW in 2014 to 19,475 MW in 2023. A major part of the capacity enhancement was contributed by the solar power companies. The government had not added any capacity, Revanth Reddy said.
“The private sector has taken up the solar power capacity to 5,600 MW from what used to be 74 MW in 2014,” he said
“I am happy that the Opposition party itself is asking for an inquiry. I am readily consenting to their demand. I am ordering a judicial inquiry, the proceedings of which would be initiated by the department concerned,” he told the House
Earlier, Jagadish Reddy said he wanted the government to institute an inquiry by a sitting judge into the allegations against him. “I am a man of integrity. I have not resorted to any irregularities,” he said
The former minister made the demand after Venkat Reddy alleged that Jagadish Reddy had misappropriated ₹10,000 crore from the Yadadri power plant. The works were awarded on a nomination basis which itself was a major crime, he argued.
