‘Cong leaders clueless about practical issues of power supply to agricultural fields’

Addressing Praja Ashirvada Sabhas, CM KCR fired salvos at TPCC president A Revanth Reddy for carelessly stating that three hours of power was sufficient for cultivation and suggesting to install 10HP motors

Hyderabad: BRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Thursday launched a broadside against the Congress leaders for their irresponsible remarks over power supply to agricultural connections in Telangana. He felt that the Congress leaders were clueless about the practical issues involving power supply to agricultural fields.

Addressing Praja Ashirvada Sabhas in Maheshwaram, Vikarabad, Zaheerabad and Patancheru constituencies, the Chief Minister fired salvos at TPCC president A Revanth Reddy for carelessly stating that three hours of power was sufficient for cultivation and suggesting to install 10HP motors. “There are over 30 lakh agricultural pump sets having mostly 3hp or 5hp capacity. It will cost around Rs.50,000 crore to replace them. Who will fund it?” he asked.

---

Taking a dig at the Congress leaders, Chandrashekhar Rao said the Congress leaders did not have basic knowledge that if power is supplied for just three hours and farmers switch on all the motors during that period, the entire power distribution system would collapse. “Will the existing network take such a huge load? Would not the transformers explode like firecrackers and wiring network burn out? The Congress leaders appear to lack even common sense,” he said.

The BRS president reminded that when Telangana was formed, the situation was chaotic with no proper drinking and irrigation water facilities, coupled with power crisis and other issues. The State government took numerous measures to maintain fiscal discipline as well as to strike a fine balance between welfare and development.

He said unlike any other State in India, Telangana was the only State to remove water cess and also provide 24 hours of free and quality power to farmers. Further, the BRS government also extended Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima and other supporting schemes to improve agriculture in the State. “If the same measures are continued for another 10 to 15 years, farmers will come out of their woes and can fund the crops for themselves,” he added.

Chandrashekhar Rao castigated the Congress leaders for terming Rythu Bandhu investment support to farmers as wastage of taxpayers’ money. He cautioned that if the Congress comes to power and abolishes the Dharani land administration system, it would result in resumption of the regime of middlemen and corrupt officials of the previous Congress governments in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.