Centre linking power reforms with grants: Jagadish

Hyderabad: Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy ridiculed the claims of the BJP State leaders who said that the Centre had removed mandatory rules for fixing meters to agricultural power supply connections. He stated that the Centre had circulated its latest electricity policy on April 27, 2021 asking the States to implement new power reforms. “The […]

Hyderabad: Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy ridiculed the claims of the BJP State leaders who said that the Centre had removed mandatory rules for fixing meters to agricultural power supply connections. He stated that the Centre had circulated its latest electricity policy on April 27, 2021 asking the States to implement new power reforms.

“The Centre’s new electricity policy insisted on fixing meters to agricultural connections and also fixing pre-paid meters in all sectors in a phased manner. But there is no question of implementing these reforms in Telangana,” he asserted, while speaking to mediapersons at TRS Legislative Party office here on Tuesday.

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The Minister said union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy and BJP State president Bandi Sanjay were making false claims on the Centre’s new electricity policy to mislead people. Fearing public backlash, he said the Centre was not introducing any electricity laws in the Parliament and instead, chose to pressurise the States by linking the reforms with financial grants to the States.

“The new electricity policy is clearly favourable to the States which allow fixing of meters to agricultural power connections and also open doors for privatisation. Due to the State government’s decision to not implement the power reforms, Telangana will lose more than Rs 5,000 crore every year,” he added.

Jagadish Reddy demanded that both Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay must apologise to people of the State for making false allegations, if they have any wisdom left in them. He accused the Centre of interfering in the State subjects like agriculture, power and irrigation among others in utter violation of the Constitution of India by opting for backdoor reforms. “Providing free power to certain sectors is the decision of the State government and the union government has no role in it. The State government is clearing the bills pertaining to the distribution companies on a regular basis,” he asserted

On Monday, BJP State president Bandi Sanjay claimed that Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao handed over old copies of the proposed electricity bill dated April, 2002 though the copy of new amendment bill was issued on February 5, 2021 which made it clear that the proposal for fixing electricity bills to agricultural connections was completely removed.