VIJAYAWADA: Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar has fiercely countered the YSRCP’s statewide protests over power tariff hikes, holding former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy responsible for the crisis in the State’s power sector.
In a statement issued on Friday, Ravi Kumar clarified that the current coalition government has not raised electricity charges since assuming office. He attributed the financial strain on the power sector to decisions made during Jagan’s tenure. “The TDP government handed over a power-surplus State in 2019, but Jagan’s leadership resulted in a Rs 1.20 lakh crore loss and an electricity burden of Rs 35,000 crore on citizens,” he said.
Criticising the YSRCP’s protests, the Minister called them a “Tughlaq act” and pointed out that Jagan’s administration implemented 10 tariff hikes and incurred debts of Rs 1.29 lakh crore in the power sector. He assured the public that the current government is focused on stabilizing the power sector without imposing additional burdens on citizens. He emphasised that YSRCP’s political theatrics have lost credibility among the people.
Ravi Kumar also accused Jagan of mismanagement, citing the cancellation of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), which disrupted renewable energy projects.
He claimed the State was forced to pay penalties due to these actions and that electricity was purchased at inflated rates to benefit associates. Additionally, he alleged inefficiency and losses at the Krishnapatnam power plant due to the supply of substandard coal during Jagan’s tenure.
