Panel probing irregularities in power purchases during BRS regime jumping into conclusions: ex-minister

BRS justifies K. Chandrasekhar Rao's request for Justice Reddy to step down from inquiry commission on power project irregularities.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Sunday justified the request made by former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to Justice L. Narasimha Reddy to step down from the Inquiry Commission on the alleged irregularities in the execution of Bhadradri and Yadadri thermal power projects and power purchase from Chhattisgarh. The party said the commission drew conclusions prematurely.

“There is no instance of an inquiry commission headed by a retired judge of a High Court drawing conclusions before completing the hearing of all the parties involved, particularly the party against which charges are levelled. By faulting the decisions of the previous BRS government even before what the former CM had to say, after seeking his version, it clearly appeared that the commission had made up its mind,” former Minister for Energy G. Jagadish Reddy said here.

Addressing a press conference, along with other leaders of the BRS, including former MP Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy, MLC T. Ravinder Rao and youth wing president G. Srinvas Yadav, Mr. Jagadish Reddy said the inquiry appeared to be going ahead with a pre-conceived motive as become evident in the press conference held by Justice Narasimha Reddy on June 11, even before getting the version of the former Chief Minister and completion of time stipulated by the Commission to get the version – June 15.

On the power purchase agreement with Chhattisgarh, he said it was signed by power utilities of the two States. “If there is any corruption in the deal as alleged by the Congress government, either Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao could have paid Raman Singh, then Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, or vice versa. The probe panel could speak to Raman Singh to reveal whether there was any bribe involved in it”, Mr. Jagadish Reddy said.

Criticising the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders for levelling baseless charges against the previous BRS government in the matter of execution of power projects or power purchase from Chhattisgarh, he sought to know whether they could question their party leader Mr. Raman Singh as he, too, was involved in the signing of memorandum of understanding with his Telangana counterpart that preceded signing of the power purchase agreement (PPA).

He said that both BJP and Congress leaders, including Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, had taken the PPA issue with the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC), but the regulatory body had found no fault with the PPA. If they were not satisfied with the ERC decision, they could have gone for appeal at the appellate tribunal, but they did not do so as they were aware of the facts about the PPA.