HYDERABAD: The Telangana government on Thursday suspended Yadadri Thermal Power Station (YTPS) Stage-I Chief Engineer B Suresh and deputed five IAS officers to monitor power generation at the plant.
With the state facing power outages and a rise in electricity demand due to El Nino conditions, the State government took serious note of YTPS failing to operate at its full capacity.
Recently, leaders of the main Opposition party, the BRS, visited thermal power plants and alleged that the plants were not being operated at their full capacity.
During a review meeting on Wednesday night, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy took serious note of the situation and warned the Special Chief Secretary (Energy) and the Chairman and Managing Director of Telangana State Power Generation Corporation Limited (TGGENCO) that action would be taken if they were found negligent in discharging their duties and ensuring optimal power generation.
Following this, Genco Chairman and Managing Director S Harish suspended YTPS Chief Engineer B Suresh on Thursday. The suspension order stated that Suresh had exhibited gross negligence in the discharge of his duties and committed supervisory lapses in carrying out his responsibilities as Chief Engineer, particularly in planning, monitoring and executing priority works aimed at improving power generation.
The order stated: "Regular reviews of the generation performance of YTPS (Construction), a 5X800 MW project at Dameracherla, have been conducted over the past two months to ensure power generation at full load capacity and improve the performance standards of the Stage-I units.
"However, during the recent review meetings in the last 15 days, it was observed, particularly during the review meeting held at 9 am on Thursday, October 14, 2026, that B Suresh, Chief Engineer of YTPS Stage-I, had exhibited gross negligence in the discharge of his duties". The order further stated that Suresh’s actions amounted to gross misconduct under the applicable regulations.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju deputed five IAS officers to camp at YTPS and monitor power generation.
Excise Commissioner Chevvuru Hari Kiran, Special Secretary to the Education Department Venkatesh Dhotre, Commissioner of Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies Rahul Raj, CEO of the Aarogyasri Health Care Trust Zendage Hanumant Kondiba, and R&R Commissioner Killu Sivakumar Naidu will camp at YTPS for three days each between October 15 and October 30.
The officers will examine whether all four coal streams are functioning and, if not, identify the reasons for any disruption. They will also assess the maximum designed coal flow and its current status.
They will check the grade of coal being received and determine whether power generation is in line with the quality of coal supplied or whether there are any shortfalls. They will also verify whether coal is being fed to all four units at the required levels and, if not, identify the reasons.
In addition, the officers will examine whether the vibrating grizzly feeders (VGFs) are functioning properly or whether any blockages are hampering coal feeding into the bunkers. They will review the status of pending works by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), assess coal rake unloading and turnaround times, and identify ways to improve efficiency.
The officers will also examine whether all four units are generating power at their full capacity and, if not, determine the reasons for the generation shortfall.
