Free power supply: Stung by backlash, Revanth does a volte-face

TPCC president A Revanth Reddy did a volte-face, stating the Congress party was committed to extending 24 hour power supply to farmers

Hyderabad: Stung by the massive backlash against his remark that 24 hour free power supply for farmers was unnecessary, TPCC president A Revanth Reddy did a volte-face on Thursday, stating the Congress party was committed to extending 24 hour power supply to farmers.

At a press conference here, the TPCC president even claimed that the patent of extending 24 hour free power supply to farmers belonged to the Congress. “Let there be no doubts. The Congress has a clear cut policy on 24 hour power supply to farmers and the same was declared by party leader Rahul Gandhi at the Warangal public meeting recently,” he said.

---

This is a complete about-turn from what he said during his interaction with the NRI community from Telangana in the United States early this week, when he stated that only three hours of power supply was sufficient for cultivating three acres of land and that 24 hour free power was not necessary for farmers. The statement, which went viral on social media, triggered a massive backlash from the ruling BRS and the farming community, apart from widespread condemnation from within the Congress as well.

Apparently trying to wriggle out of the embarrassment he had courted, for himself and the party, Revanth Reddy alleged on Thursday that his comments were misquoted by the BRS deliberately. This was even as multiple videos, on news channels to ones shared by individuals, show what he actually said. However, Revanth Reddy ignored this and maintained that he was being misquoted. He further said all aspects pertaining to free power supply, Rs.4,000 monthly pension to senior citizens and widows, Rs.2 lakh farm loan waiver for farmers, fee imbursement to students and others would be declared in the Congress manifesto to be released on September 17.

Not stopping at that, he also alleged that the State government was not supplying 24 hour free power supply to farmers and that in reality, only eight hours of power was being supplied to small and marginal farmers while 12 hours of supply was being given to farm houses owned by BRS leaders.

Throwing allegations wherever he could, right from on meters being fixed to agricultural pump-sets to the State government’s multiple initiatives in the power sector like power plants at Bhadradri Kothagudem and Yadadri, Revanth Reddy on Thursday tried his best to control the damage that he unleashed on his party.

He also targeted the Dharani portal, alleging that it was being operated by a foreign company. He also claimed the actual purpose of his visit to the US was to ‘get all those details’.