Centre not against giving free power supply: Kishan Reddy

Addressing a press conference at the BJP State office in Nampally, he asked why the Centre would raise an objection when the State government wants to give free power.

Hyderabad: Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy here on Tuesday clarified that the Central government was not against supplying free power to farmers. Addressing a press conference at the BJP State office in Nampally, he asked why the Centre would raise an objection when the State government wants to give free power.

However, the intention of the Central government to introduce reforms in the power sector was to bail out discoms in the States from the increasing debts and ensure that the electricity department employees get salaries on time. Referring to the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s remarks in the State Assembly on Monday that the NDA government was forcing to fix meters to pump sets, he said the Central government did not issue any such rule in the Electricity (Amendment) Act 2022.

---

“We don’t know from where the Chief Minister got the document that was displayed in the Assembly stating that the Central government is forcing to fix meters?” Reddy asked. Taking exception to the Chief Minister’s outburst against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Assembly, he said the former should not forget that the people were watching everything in the State.

He alleged that the Chief Minister spoke lies on the reforms introduced by the Central government in the electricity sector. He added that the Centre’s move was aimed at protecting the power utilities financially benefiting the electricity department employees. The ruling party leaders should not forget the Centre’s contribution in every development activity taken up in the State. Referring to humiliation meted out to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan by not following protocol during her visit in the State, Reddy accused the ruling party of doing it intentionally.