Loans taken to strengthen power sector, says Jagadish Reddy

BRS member and former Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy alleged that the Congress was trying to discredit the efforts of the BRS in strengthening the power sector in the State.

Hyderabad: Defending the decision of the BRS government to take loans to strengthen the power sector, BRS member and former Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy alleged that the Congress was trying to discredit the efforts of the BRS in strengthening the power sector in the State.

Taking part in the discussion on demands for grants in the Assembly on Monday, Jagadish Reddy said the BRS government spent Rs. 90,000 crore on strengthening the power sector in the last ten years and that due its effort today people of the State were able to get power round the clock . Stating that to take up development works the government had to take loans, he said in order to overcome the power crisis there was a need to make heavy investments in the power sector, hence the BRS government took loans to strengthen the sector.

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Accusing the Congress of misleading people on the issue of power sector debts, the former Energy Minister said at the time of formation of Telangana the power sector already had a loan of Rs. 24,000 crore and since the government did not have any other option it had to go for fresh loans to invest in the power sector. “In ten year we increased the power generation from 7778 MW to 19,340 MW. We provided round the clock power to all the sectors. We made the State power self-sufficient,”he said.

Commenting on Bhadradri and Yadadri Thermal Power Station, he said the cost of the two projects increased due to delay in executing the project. He said the BRS government went ahead with the sub-critical technology for BTPS as the equipment was ready with the BHEL and the centre told the State that the technology could be used before 2017.

Regarding Yadadri power plant, the BRS member said that the then government decided to set up the plant in Nalgonda to provide employment for the locals and that there was no political or any selfish motive behind the decision.