BRS leaders inspect Telangana thermal power stations, allege coal shortage and power cuts

BRS leaders visited thermal power stations in Kothagudem, Manuguru and Bhupalpally on Thursday to assess coal stocks and generation. They alleged power cuts and coal shortages were affecting farmers and claimed police initially prevented them from entering the plants.

Khammam/ Bhupalpally: Under an incompetent and inept Congress government the farming community was in a state of despair and distress as it brought back the power cuts and electricity-related hardships of the past, alleged BRS leaders.

Following a call given by the party working president KT Rama Rao, the party leaders visited power stations at Kothagudem, Manuguru and Bhupalpally on Thursday to ascertain the facts regarding coal stocks and power generation at the thermal power stations.

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MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra, former Minister Vanama Venkateswara Rao, former MLA Nageswara Rao and senior leader Dindigala Rajender visited KTPS at Kothagudem; former Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, former MLA Rega Kantha Rao visited BTPS at Manuguru.

Similarly Jangaon MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy; former Ministers Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Satyavathi Rathod and Tatikonda Rajaiah; former MLAs Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, Aroori Ramesh and Shankar Naik visited KTPP at Bhupalpally.

Tense moments were witnessed at the power stations as police prevented the BRS leaders from entering into the power stations. It led to a scuffle between the police and BRS cadres, who staged a protest in front of the power station entrance gates in protest against the police action.

Subsequently, the authorities allowed BRS public representatives, former Ministers, and former MLAs into the power plants. Speaking to the media the leaders stated that during the tenure of former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao 24-hour, free and quality electricity was supplied to farmers, households and industries in Telangana.
The Congress government’s ascent to power the old days of power cuts have returned and the agricultural sector has been facing a severe crisis. The government has been supplying electricity to the farming community for only eight hours, and that too in a staggered manner.

Since everyone turns on their motors simultaneously during this eight-hour window, transformers were failing and motors were burning out due to low voltage. Farmers were forced to spend their own money to replace the burnt-out transformers, said ex-Minister Ajay Kumar.

MP Ravichandra quoting officials stated that thermal power stations owe approximately Rs 55,000 crore to the SCCL and that power generation has stalled due to the lack of high-quality 9G and 10G grade coal supply, alongside aging machinery.

It was sad that Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka who was ensuring supply of quality coal to Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra has completely neglected the power plants in Telangana, he said.