Suspension of YTPS chief engineer triggers resentment among power unions, BRS flays Congress govt

The suspension of YTPS Stage-I Chief Engineer B Suresh has sparked resentment among power sector employees and engineers, who allege he is being made a scapegoat for power generation shortfalls caused by inadequate coal supplies and poor planning. The BRS and employee unions have demanded an impartial inquiry, questioning the government's preparedness and the selective targeting of officials.

Hyderabad: The suspension of Yadadri Thermal Power Station (YTPS) Stage-I Chief Engineer B Suresh has triggered strong resentment among power sector employees and engineers.

The main opposition BRS condemned the action, calling it an attempt to shift the blame for the State’s power crisis onto officials amid alleged government and management failures.

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The action by TGGENCO Chairman and Managing Director S Harish comes hours after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy threatened to suspend senior IAS officers, including the Special Chief Secretary for Energy and TGGENCO CMD, over power supply disruptions. The suspension raised questions over whether Suresh was being made a scapegoat for generation shortfalls, particularly when coal availability and advance planning remain contentious issues.

Suresh was suspended pending a departmental inquiry for alleged gross negligence and supervisory lapses in planning, monitoring and executing works to improve power generation at YTPS Stage-I. Ironically, Suresh was reportedly posted to Stage-I of YTPS less than two months ago.

However, electricity employees’ and engineers’ unions have questioned how an engineer could be held responsible for generation shortfalls when coal supplies were inadequate. Sources said the plant currently has less than a week’s coal stock against the mandatory 21 days. The State government signed agreements for the supply of coal from the Naini Coal Block in Odisha and Mahanadi Coalfields less than 10 days ago, only after realising the coal shortage rather than undertaking advance planning.

“The Yadadri plant was constructed for power generation with G-9 grade coal, but the plant is being operated using a mix of G-9 grade coal and other lower grade coal. In fact, none of the State-run thermal power plants are completely dependent on the mandated quality coal and are using mixed grade coal,” a senior engineer said on condition of anonymity.

Further, the electricity unions questioned how Suresh, who was transferred to the post recently, was held accountable, but not other officials across the management hierarchy, including Stage-II Chief Engineer Suryanarayana, Thermal Power Construction Chief Engineer PV Srinivas Rao and Thermal Director Rajasekhar Reddy, among others. They alleged selective action against Telangana officials, while senior officials who are natives of Andhra Pradesh were spared.

Former TNGOs Association president G Deviprasad held the Congress government responsible for the alleged lack of planning for the electricity crisis and accused it of targeting officials to divert public anger. He said despite coal production at Singareni, supplies to power plants were inadequate, affecting power generation. He also cited failures in lifting available Godavari River water as contributing to shortages.

The BRS slammed the government’s lack of preparedness. Despite advance warnings from the Centre about El Nino, the State government is now confronting electricity and water concerns as crops approach harvesting, when uninterrupted power is crucial for farmers. The party condemned the suspension, arguing that the government must answer for its planning and supply failures instead of penalising field-level officials.

Engineers and employee representatives have called for an impartial inquiry into coal supplies, plant operations and management decisions before responsibility is fixed.