Govt to order judicial probe into Chattisgarh power purchase agreement, Bhadradri, Yadadri power plants

Amidst a high-octane war of words during the short discussion on the white paper, the Chief Minister said his government was also prepared to constitute an all party fact-finding committee to look into the 24-hour free power supply claims of the BRS regime. Former Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy would also be made a member of the committee, he said.

Hyderabad: Accepting the Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s challenge, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday said a judicial inquiry would be ordered into the power purchase agreement with Chhattisgarh, besides into the Bhadradri and Yadadri thermal power plants constructed by the BRS government.

He announced this in the Assembly after Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu tabled a white paper on the Telangana Power Sector.

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Amidst a high-octane war of words during the short discussion on the white paper, the Chief Minister said his government was also prepared to constitute an all party fact-finding committee to look into the 24-hour free power supply claims of the BRS regime. Former Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy would also be made a member of the committee, he said.

Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said the BRS government had supplied power for only 9 to 10 hours a day as against 24 hours claimed by the party leaders. He also alleged that there was a scam in the Yadadri power plant and that the contract was handed over to BHEL on nomination basis without floating tenders.

Immediately, the former Energy Minister sprang to his feet and pointed out that it was clearly mentioned in the report that the BRS government provided free power to farmers on an average of over 19 hours a day as against the Congress party’s allegations of eight to 10 hours.

“I think the government needs to recheck the facts and present the White Paper again,” Jagadish Reddy said, also challenging the government to order an enquiry with a sitting judge or to constitute a commission to probe into all the allegations levelled by Komatireddy Venkat Reddy.

Intervening in the discussion, the Chief Minister said the past BRS government had wasted public money in the name of Telangana sentiment. All the irregularities by the BRS government in the agreement for power purchases of 1000 MW from Chhattisgarh would be probed. Due to this agreement, there was financial burden of Rs.1,362 crore on the State exchequer, he said.

This apart, large scale corruption took place in construction of Bhadradri and Yadadri thermal power plants, he said, adding that a judicial probe would also be ordered into these two issues as well. The BRS government had even demoted and transferred a senior official, who raised objections over the agreement with Chattisgarh government. Despite, the union government’s instructions, the BRS government had opted for Sub-critical technology for construction of 1080 MW Bhadradri Thermal Power Plant, Revanth Reddy said.

While the KTPC 7th Phase was completed in 40 months, the Bhadradri plant was completed in seven years. This resulted in escalation of production cost from Rs.6.75 crore per MW to Rs.9.74 per MW, he said.

Similarly, the 4000 MW Yadadri Thermal plant was not completed till date as against the assured period of 24 months. An agreement was signed in 2015 and it was to be built with a cost of Rs.25,099 crore, he said, adding that the white paper was tabled in the House to present the facts before the people about the power sector.