HYDERABAD: Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy said that Telangana government was ‘strongly opposing’ the Electricity (Amendment) Bill. The State government conveyed its opposition to the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 to Union Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister RK Singh. Reddy was participating in a video conference conducted by the Union Minister on Friday on the Bill and other Energy related matters on Friday. Reddy told presspersons that the TRS would oppose the Bill when it gets introduced in Parliament.
Reddy said that the provisions of the proposed Bill were detrimental to the interests of Telangana farmers and some sections of the domestic power consumers. The small domestic consumers and the farmers would have to forego their power subsidy being provided by the State government, if the Bill was adopted by Parliament, Reddy added. Reddy also stated that the Bill was usurping the States’ rights and trying to take control over power sector. The Bill, if adopted, would pave way for the private players in power distribution system. The Bill was against the federal spirit of the country, Reddy said.
Though, several States were opposing the Bill, the Centre have not made any changes in the draft, he alleged. The Union Minister informed the conference that liquidity infusion up to Rs 90,000 crore for Discoms was being given under a package announced by the Central Government recently for losses up to March 31, 2020. The Union Minister said that against this demand of Rs 93,000 crore received from States/UTs and an amount of Rs 20,000 crore had been approved, while the remaining demands were being processed expeditiously.