Bhatti deflects true-up questions, blames BRS for power sector woes

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka defended the Congress government’s handling of the power sector and blamed the previous BRS regime for financial and operational problems. He also ruled out privatisation of GENCO, TRANSCO and discoms

Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday defended the Congress government’s handling of the power situation but avoided directly answering questions on the proposed Rs 5,420-crore true-up charges. Instead, he blamed the previous BRS government for the power sector’s financial and operational problems.

When reporters sought his response to opposition to the true-up charges and BRS leader T Harish Rao’s warning of a fresh people’s agitation, Bhatti Vikramarka handed the microphone to officials. They said power purchase arrears for 2022-23 and 2023-24 had not been cleared, creating a burden on the discoms. They said the charges were being imposed in accordance with Supreme Court orders and financial rationalisation.

---

Later, he left without responding to a direct question on whether the government would withdraw the charges.

Earlier, the Deputy Chief Minister sought to counter allegations made by Harish Rao and accused him and the BRS of making false allegations about power supply and privatisation. He ruled out any plans to privatise or list GENCO, TRANSCO or the discoms. He said certain political leaders were trying to mislead the people, despite the Congress government ensuring uninterrupted power supply.

Seeking to highlight the government’s performance, he said peak demand had touched 19,892 MW in September, nearly 4,000 MW higher than last year, while hydel generation had fallen by about 2,000 MW due to El Niño.

On Yadadri Thermal Power Plant, Bhatti Vikramarka blamed the BRS government for taking up its construction without assured coal supplies. He questioned the 2016 agreement for Singareni’s Grade-9 coal and asked whether adequate reserves existed then. He said the Congress government had intervened to restart mining in the Naini coal block and claimed credit for commissioning two units last year and two more this year.

He alleged that 14 coal blocks of Singareni available during the BRS regime had become inactive. He asked Harish Rao, who served as a Minister for 10 years, to speak responsibly and said the government would release documentary evidence of alleged lapses in the Yadadri project. He warned that the previous government’s mistakes would be exposed with evidence.