Congress plotting to end free power scheme through prepaid meters: KTR

Addressing the party meeting in Amberpet on Sunday, Rama Rao said the State Cabinet had decided to replace existing electricity meters with prepaid meters across rural and urban areas, including agricultural connections.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao accused the Congress government of attempting to phase out free electricity for farmers by introducing prepaid power meters and eventually privatise the power sector. He strongly condemned the Congress government’s plans to install prepaid electricity meters for domestic purposes and urged people to oppose the move.

Addressing the party meeting in Amberpet on Sunday, Rama Rao said the State Cabinet had decided to replace existing electricity meters with prepaid meters across rural and urban areas, including agricultural connections. He stated that the Congress government was implementing the proposal to facilitate private participation in the power sector and eventually hand over operations to corporate entities.

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“The Congress is conspiring to remove free power for farmers by installing meters for agricultural motors. Prepaid meters are being introduced only to privatise the electricity sector,” he alleged.

The BRS working president recalled that the BRS had warned during the Assembly elections that the free electricity scheme for farmers would be under threat if the Congress came to power. He said BRS chief and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had resisted pressure from the Centre to introduce prepaid meters despite alleged restrictions on loans worth Rs 30,000 crore.

However, he said that the Congress government was now planning to roll out prepaid electricity meters within the next three months and urged people to oppose the move. “Before prepaid meters reach every household and agricultural motor, people should politically disconnect the Congress,” he said.

The former Minister also accused the Congress government of administrative failures, corruption and failing to fulfil election promises even after completing nearly half of its term. He said the public was increasingly dissatisfied with the government’s policies and governance.

Referring to Hyderabad civic issues, Rama Rao criticised the Congress government over demolitions carried out in the name of HYDRAA. He said while the previous BRS government constructed houses for the poor in the city, the current administration was demolishing thousands of homes and making them homeless.

He also targeted Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over the proposed Future City project. He stated that the government was neglecting existing urban infrastructure and maintaining basic civic amenities, while making grand claims about new developments.

On the Musi river rejuvenation project, the BRS working president alleged that works of major sewage treatment plants had already been initiated during the BRS regime and accused the present government of using the project for contracts and commissions. He alleged that large-scale demolitions in the name of Musi rejuvenation were causing hardship to thousands of residents.

He announced that the BRS would soon launch digital membership enrolment and conduct training programmes for party workers across all constituencies. He said the party will prioritise candidates who actively fought on public issues while selecting nominees for future municipal corporation elections in Hyderabad.