VIJAYAWADA: TDP Politburo member Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy accused the YSRC government of procuring power transformers at exorbitant prices from select manufacturers, especially Shirdi Sai Electricals.
Speaking to mediapersons at the TDP headquarters in Mangalagiri on Thursday, he gave a PowerPoint presentation on the price escalation of transformers after the YSRC came to power in the State. He furnished the prices of power transformers in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in 2022-23, while comparing them with that of 2018-19.
He said the price of a 25 KVA transformer shot up to Rs 1,78,800 in 2022-23 from Rs 58,569.30 in 2018-19, which was an increase of 305%. Incidentally, the Telangana government had purchased 25 KVA transformers at Rs 79,829 per unit only in 2022-23, which reflects a price difference of Rs 98,971 and the increase in the case was 223.98%.
Similarly, 63 KVA transformers were being purchased at a price of Rs 2,81,000 each by the YSRC government, while its rate was only Rs 89,892 earlier, leading to a cost escalation of Rs 1,91,108. The Telangana government had procured the same product at Rs 1,22,936 per unit, getting a benefit of Rs 1,58,064 (228.57%).
In case of 100 KVA transformers, the cost per unit was Rs 1.20 lakh during the TDP regime. The present government was buying them at a whopping Rs 3.58 lakh per unit, a price difference of Rs 2.38 lakh with 297.56% hike. In Telangana, it was purchased at a cost of Rs 1,86,505, a price benefit of Rs 1,71,495 (191.95%). He also highlighted the huge price difference in procurement of 160 KVA and 315 KVA power transformers in AP and Telangana.
He demanded that the YSRC government explain the reason for purchasing the power transformers at exorbitant prices from select manufacturers based in Telangana and AP, ignoring reputed firms across India. He alleged that the power transformer manufacturers had formed a syndicate and jacked up the prices of their products abnormally, at behest of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.