Ryots told to attend Rythu Vedika meetings and demand farm loan waiver, 24-hour power

TPCC president Revanth Reddy challenges Minister K. T. Rama Rao to open debate on unfulfilled loan waiver and 24-hr power supply, charges BRS government with looting ₹8,000 cr in name of free electricity and ₹15,000 cr in commissions for thermal power projects

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy has called upon the farmers to visit Rythu Vedikas and question the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) about the unfulfilled loan waiver and also demand 24-hour power supply to them as promised.

He also challenged Minister for Municipal Administration and BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao to come for an open debate at any Rythu Vedika in Sircilla, Chintamadaka or Siddipet on the issue. He said Mr. Rama Rao cannot escape after Congress MP Komatireddy Venkata Reddy exposed the issue through the entries in the logbooks at the electricity substations.

Earlier, the BRS had asked its leaders and cadre to organise meetings at Rythu Vedika and explain how the Congress was trying to do away with the free power supply.

Mr. Reddy, who was speaking to the reporters on Monday, questioned why the logbooks at the 3,500 substations were seized and kept with the higher officials. Even TRANSCO Chairman and Managing Director D. Prabhakar Rao refused to give a reason for the seizure of logbooks when reporters confronted him on it in Vemulawada, he argued. The CMD also tried to escape by saying enough power was given without giving clarity on 24-hour power supply.

He reiterated his allegations that BRS party was looting ₹8,000 crore in the name of free electricity and asked where was the money going. “This is a 30% commission government,” he charged. People have realised that the government was using free electricity for corruption and not just for their welfare.

The Congress chief also alleged large-scale corruption in setting up the thermal power generation plants in Telangana. He said the KTPS, Yadadri and Bhadradri thermal power projects too were launched with an estimate of over ₹9 crore per Mega Watt while the Public Sector Units had set up power plants in Uttarakhand at ₹5 crore per Mega Watt. “The government should explain on this difference,” he demanded.

Mr. Reddy claimed tenders for KTPS, Yadadri and Bhadradri thermal projects were invited at ₹45,730 crore and about 30% of it was taken as commissions which is to the tune of ₹15,000 crore.