Centre privatising power sector: KCR
Hyderabad: Describing the Central Government’s power reforms as a conspiracy to corporatise the power sector in the country, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said the BJP government had even violated the Constitution by implementing the rules of a draft bill that was yet to be passed in the Parliament. The Centre shared draft copy of […]
Hyderabad: Describing the Central Government’s power reforms as a conspiracy to corporatise the power sector in the country, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said the BJP government had even violated the Constitution by implementing the rules of a draft bill that was yet to be passed in the Parliament.
The Centre shared draft copy of the electricity reforms and was forcing the State governments to install meters to every connection. It had also resorted to arm twisting the State governments by saying that 0.5 per cent additional borrowings would not be permitted to States that do not implement the new power bill, besides levying fines, the Chief Minister said.
Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh had already commenced the process of installing meters in Srikakulam and already 25,000 meters were installed. Let the State BJP leaders, who speak utter lies, go to AP and get their facts right, he said.
“Even if Telangana has to suffer Rs 5,000 crore losses annually on account of not installing the meters, we will not implement power reforms and we are opposing these reforms,” declared K Chandrashekhar Rao at a press conference here on Sunday.
Playing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on the mobile, where in, he announced distributing power to States at Rs 1.10 per unit, the Chief Minister said “I plead to the Prime Minister to share details as to which States power was supplied at that rate,”
Continuing his tirade, the Chief Minister said 60 per cent of the country’s population was still struggling with power cuts, while Telangana was the only State extending 24 hour quality power supply.
There was 40,000 MW power production set up in the country but the Centre does not these units to be fully operational due to its poor power policy, he said.
In the guise of power reforms, the Centre was trying to handover the discoms to private companies. If that happens, people will have to pay the power charges as demanded by the companies, he explained.
“The People have given Prime Minister eight years of time and he failed to ensure development in any sector, instead all the sectors were ruined. It is time to switch this government off,” Chandrashekhar Rao said, adding the poor were becoming poorer and the rich were becoming richer under the BJP’s rule.
According to official records, the industrial production dropped from 4.4 per cent in September to 0.4 per cent in December. While, the unemployment in Telangana was 0.3 per cent, the national average was over 7 per cent. In the Global Hunger Index, India was ranked 101, he said.
The Chief Minister said the Central government in its reply in the Parliament stated that 36 economic offenders had fled away the country. This was a new feature of the BJP government. Is this the development one expected under BJP rule, he asked.
The Chief Minister accused of rampant corruption in the BJP government. Citing the example of irregularities in the Rafale deal, he said while India procured 36 jets for 9.4 billion dollars, Indonesia had procured 42 jets for 8 billion dollars.
“Telangana or any other State did not sign the Rafale deal. Who needs to go to jail, should go to jail. In the Whatsapp University they do false propaganda and mislead people,” said Chandrashekhar Rao.
Regarding the Singareni Collieries employees agitation against privatization, the Chief Minister said Telangana had offered to buy the Centre’s share of 49 per cent in the company under disinvestment to safeguard the interests of employees and save public sector companies.
“The Centre was selling PSU, banks, airplanes and now they are eyeing power sector. This needs to be opposed and youth should think and fight against this undemocratic government,” said Chandrashekhar Rao.
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