BRS launches statewide agitation over coal shortages and power cuts in Telangana

The BRS launched a statewide agitation at thermal power plants and Singareni offices, alleging coal shortages and falling generation had triggered a power crisis in Telangana. Party leaders protested at Yadadri, KTPP, Bhadradri, Kothagudem and Singareni Bhavan.

Hyderabad: The BRS on Thursday launched a statewide agitation at thermal power plants and Singareni offices, alleging that coal shortages, falling power generation and power cuts had pushed Telangana into an electricity crisis. Six teams visited Yadadri, Kothagudem, Kakatiya Thermal Power Project (KTPP), Bhadradri, Singareni power installations and the Singareni headquarters in Hyderabad.

The protests were marked by police barricades, arrests and scuffles as BRS leaders sought access to the plants and demanded explanations from officials.

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At Yadadri Thermal Power Station (YTPS) at Veerlapalem in Nalgonda district, police stopped the BRS team led by former Minister G Jagadish Reddy. He staged a dharna in protest before later meeting plant officials to seek details on coal shortages and the reasons for generation stoppage. He said two of the five units had stopped functioning because of coal shortage, with generation continuing in only two units. The party demanded clarity on the status of all five units.

At KTPP in Bhupalapally, police erected barricades to prevent the team led by MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy from entering. A scuffle followed and BRS workers staged a dharna at the main gate. Leaders and workers were detained, while former Ministers Errabelli Dayakar Rao and Satyavathi Rathod and former MLAs later entered the plant on their personal assurance. Palla Rajeshwar Reddy alleged that the plant was receiving only about 1,500 tonnes of coal a day against a requirement of 5,000 tonnes.

At Bhadradri power plant in Manuguru, BRS leaders protested alleging that coal supplies from Singareni to GENCO had been stopped. Former Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar and former MLA Rega Kantha Rao were stopped by police as party workers raised slogans demanding uninterrupted power for farmers.

At the Kothagudem Thermal Power Station, BRS Parliamentary Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra and former MLA Vanama Nageswara Rao led the protest. Police prevented the BRS workers from entering the station, resulting in a scuffle between the two sides.

The BRS also targeted the Singareni power operations, with former Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao alleging declining coal stocks at the Bhupalapally open-cast mines. He said production was below 2,000 tonnes a day against a requirement of around 5,000 tonnes, affecting generation at KTPP. He also alleged that the State owed Singareni about Rs 52,000 crore.

At Singareni Bhavan in Hyderabad, former Ministers Koppula Eshwar and T Jeevan Reddy, MLA KP Vivekananda and MLCs Dasoju Sravan and Shambipur Raju sought information from officials on coal stocks and production. They alleged that officials failed to provide satisfactory answers. Eshwar said power availability fell from 24 hours to less than six hours. The party leaders submitted a representation to the Singareni authorities to increase coal production.

The BRS said the plant visits were intended to establish the reasons for the generation shortfall and press the government to restore uninterrupted power supply. It also condemned preventive arrests of party workers and demanded immediate action to address the alleged coal and generation shortages.