Congress leader Chinta Mohan alleges scam in fixing smart meters to farm pumpsets in Andhra Pradesh
The Hindu
The Congress leader questions the decision of the government to fix the meters by raising a loan of ₹3,600 crore when the State is facing a ‘grave financial crisis’
Congress senior leader Chinta Mohan has opposed the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government’s decision to fix smart meters to agricultural pumpsets allegedly at ‘inflated cost at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre’.
Addressing the media at the Nellore Press Club on December 15 (Thursday), the former Union Minister questioned the need for fixing meters by the State government by raising a loan of ₹3,600 crore from the Power Finance Corporation for the purpose at a time when the State was facing a ‘grave financial crisis’, despite a strong opposition from ‘within the ruling party and outside’.
“Many States including Tamil Nadu and Telangana have refused to toe the Centre’s line on its power sector reforms aimed at currying favours with the private players,“ he pointed out and claimed that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government’s ‘downfall had started’.
Alleging a ₹1,000-crore scam in the purchase of smart meters worth only ₹6,000 per piece for ₹30,000 each, the Congress leader said that the YSRCP would meet its ‘political waterloo’ in the next elections.
Welfare and development in the State has come to a standstill. Farmers and other sections of people are getting themselves distanced from the ruling party. The State administration is in doldrums,” he said.
Referring to the recent elections in different parts of the country, the Congress Working Committee Special Invitee said, “The BJP won the Assembly elections in Gujarat by playing tricks. But, the same did not work in its favour in Himachal Pradesh and in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi,” he said.
The Madras High Court on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, rejected a plea by former special Director General of Police (DGP) Rajesh Das to restore the electricity service connection to a bungalow in Thaiyur near Kelambakkam in Chengalpattu district, and to restrain Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) officials from disturbing the power supply in future.