Centre’s decision aimed at privatising power sector: Jagadish Reddy

Hyderabad: The Central government barred Telangana from carrying out buying or selling power in violation of High Court orders, according to Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy. The Centre’s decision is nothing but privatising the power sector, he said while interacting with media persons at Chandur Municipal Corporation under Munugode constituency on Friday. Questioning Centre’s interest […]

Hyderabad: The Central government barred Telangana from carrying out buying or selling power in violation of High Court orders, according to Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy. The Centre’s decision is nothing but privatising the power sector, he said while interacting with media persons at Chandur Municipal Corporation under Munugode constituency on Friday. Questioning Centre’s interest on power supply issue, he clarified that the power sector is in the common list but the power to take decisions on power companies lies only with the State government.

“If there is a power cut in the State, then the Central government will be responsible for it,” he said. The State government has already received orders from the court on the purchase and sale of power, but the Centre barred Telangana in violation of the order. The decision was aimed at weakening the State with political motive, the Minister alleged.

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Accusing the BJP-led NDA government of conspiring to push the State of Telangana into darkness, he said the agenda of the BJP was to lift subsidies provided by the Telangana government to the poor people. He found fault with the Central government for interfering in a power issue which is completely within the jurisdiction of the State.

The Centre has taken the decision to infringe the rights of the States in the name of collecting arrears. The Minister made it clear that the Telangana government has not owed even a single rupee. The people of Telangana clearly know the situation of power supply before and after 2014.

The credit of improving power supply within six months after coming to power would go to the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. The Chief Minister took various steps to provide 24-hour free quality power to the agricultural sector.

He said the Central government was creating disturbances because Telangana has the reputation of providing 24-hour power supply. The industrialists from different places in the world were evincing interest to establish their companies in Telangana as the State government is supplying quality power to all sectors. This could have forced the Centre to act against Telangana, he said.

“With the Centre’s unilateral decision, there is a possibility of affecting the development of the State,” the Minister added.