Hyderabad, December 21: Chief Minister Revanth Reddy Announces Judicial Inquiries into Power Sector Irregularities
In a bold declaration on the assembly stage, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy vowed to conduct exhaustive legal inquiries into a series of alleged irregularities and mismanagement in the state’s power sector spanning the past decade. The investigation will delve into the motives behind the procurement of electricity from Chhattisgarh and scrutinize the construction processes of Bhadradri and Yadadri power plants.
- Chhattisgarh Electricity Agreement:
- Chief Minister Revanth Reddy criticized the previous BRS government’s 1,000 MW power purchase agreement with Chhattisgarh, labeling it as flawed and detrimental to public funds.
- He disclosed that the agreement, signed on November 3, 2014, imposed a financial burden of Rs. 1,362.42 crores on the state, despite the availability of cheaper electricity from the central government.
- The CM recounted an incident in the ERC where questioning the agreement led to the expulsion of the dissenting member.
- Employee Transfer for Truth-Telling:
- CM Revanth Reddy revealed a disturbing episode where an electricity employee who exposed the financial burden of the Chhattisgarh agreement was transferred to a remote location by the previous government. This act was interpreted as retaliation for speaking out against the agreement.
- Bhadradri Power Plant Corruption:
- Alleging corruption running into thousands of crores, the Chief Minister accused the previous government of using outdated sub-critical technology in the construction of the Bhadradri Power Plant, resulting in inflated costs.
- He claimed that the plant, initially promised to be built quickly, took seven years to complete, providing India Bulls Company with substantial profits at the expense of the state.
- Yadadri Power Plant Delays:
- Expressing dissatisfaction with the eight-year delay in completing the Yadadri Thermal Power Plant, which was originally slated to be finished in 24 months, CM Revanth Reddy ordered an inquiry into the project.
- He highlighted concerns over the escalating construction costs, which rose from Rs. 6.27 crores per megawatt to Rs. 9 crores per megawatt, and questioned whether the project would be completed in the next year.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy unequivocally announced, “We are ordering a 100 percent judicial inquiry into Chhattisgarh electricity procurement, Bhadradri Power Project, and Yadadri Power Project.”
In addition to the power sector issues, the CM addressed the claim of 24-hour electricity supply to agriculture during the previous government’s tenure. A fact-finding committee comprising members from all parties will be formed to ascertain the truth behind this assertion. The release of a white paper aims to facilitate discussions and gather suggestions from assembly members on the identified irregularities in the power sector.
