HYDERABAD: Former energy minister G Jagadish Reddy on Thursday said that though TS Discoms borrowed money, they also developed assets and repaid 50% of the borrowed amount. The total debts of the power utilities increased from Rs 7,622 crore to Rs 81, 516 crore from 2014 to 2023.
During the same period, the assets of the power utilities increased from Rs 31,923 crore to Rs 1,37,571 crore, Jagadish Reddy pointed out. Stating that the BRS government repaid debts of around Rs 55,000 crore, he insisted that the state government order a probe on the power sector either by a sitting judge or by a commission.
Participating in the short discussion on the power sector in the Assembly, Jagadish Reddy said that the Congress government admitted in its white paper that the average power supply for the agriculture sector in 2014-15 was six hours and it was 19.22 hours in 2023-24.
“It means that the allegations of the Congress that the BRS supplied only 12-hour power to farmers were false,” Jagadish Reddy said. However, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka clarified that they never mentioned in the white paper that the BRS government provided 24x7 power to farmers. Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu termed it as peak demand, while another Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said that the BRS supplied power to farmers only for 12 hours.
Reacting to this, Jagadish wanted the ministers to sit and discuss to get unanimity on the 24X7 power supply. The white paper clearly stated that the average power supply to the agriculture sector was 19.22 hours. “Is the government telling lies to the people through the white paper? If the figure is wrong, then the government should withdraw the white paper and release a fresh one,” Jagadish Reddy demanded. He said that the BRS government borrowed money to develop the power sector, which is why the power situation was better in the state.
Jagadish said that before the formation of the state, the people used to depend on kerosene lamps. However, Sridhar Babu denied the allegation. “Jagadish Reddy is trying to give a picture that the people of the state started using power only after the formation of Telangana,” Sridhar Babu said.
Venkat Reddy’s ‘sub-contractor’ jibe
During the debate, R&B Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy alleged that Jagadish Reddy was a ‘namesake’ energy minister and the then Transco and Genco CMD D Prabhakar Rao used to call the shots in the department. “Jagadish Reddy was just a sub-contractor in Yadadri power plant and earned Rs 10,000 crore,” Venkat Reddy alleged.
Countering this, Jagadish Reddy said he was ready for any kind of probe. He alleged that those who switched their political loyalties for the sake of contracts were now levelling baseless charges.
However, MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy said he changed the party for the sake of the people. “Even KCR changed political parties three times,” he said.