CM KCR appeals to PM Modi to withdraw power reforms
Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao cautioned that if the Centre fails to heed to these requests, it would face a revolution from the people of the country.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the power reforms including the Electricity (Amendments) Bill 2022 which are detrimental and hazardous to the people of the country. He cautioned that if the Centre fails to heed to these requests, it would face a revolution from the people of the country.
“I am requesting the Prime Minister to withdraw the power reforms which are not suitable for the poorest of the poor of this country. It would be detrimental and hazardous to the BPL (below poverty line) families,” he said. Stating that Modi was accustomed to withdraw laws and apologise to people as was done in land administration laws and farm laws, he suggested that the Central government respectfully withdraw the power reforms before people revolt.
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Participating in the discussion on the Centre’s power reforms in the Assembly, Chandrashekhar Rao said the Modi government failed to make optimum utilisation of the available power due to its bad policies and inefficiency. The national installed power capacity is 4.04 lakh MW, with a base load (firm power) of 2.42 lakh MW. However, the country recorded highest peak load of 2.1 lakh MW on June 22 this year.
“This is less than our base load. Apart from optimum utilisation of the base load, we can immediately use at least 1.65 lakh MW in addition,” he explained.
Pointing out that both the Central and the State governments were formed at the same time eight years ago, the Chief Minister said Telangana‘s per capita power consumption has increased from 970 units in 2014 to 2,126 units in 2022. However, the national per capita power consumption has increased from 957 units in 2014 to 1,255 units including Telangana’s consumption in 2022.
He strongly objected to the Centre passing several bills in the Parliament on subjects like power which are in the concurrent list, without consulting the States. He found fault with BJP MLA M Raghunandan Rao for misleading the House citing wrong references in his statement. He read out the latest gazette published by the Centre where the latter insisted that, “No connections shall be given without a meter and such a meter shall be smart prepayment meter.”
Chandrashekhar Rao feared that upon implementation of the bill, about 98 lakh families will be affected in Telangana alone. He stated that not just agriculture, people are mandated to fix a smart prepayment meter to obtain any power connection. “Farmers, Dalits, tribals, laundries and salons, poultry, textiles, MSMEs and all those who are getting subsidised power, will get affected,” he added.
In the name of reforms, The Chief Minister stated that the union government was bringing laws to loot the people and benefit their crony capitalist friends. “The Centre is trying to hand over the crores of rupees of assets owned by the power companies to the corporate companies,” he said. He suggested that the electricity employees to realise the conspiracy and fight against the Centre failing which they would lose their jobs as the Centre is inclined to privatise the power companies.
