Bandi warns of more power tariff hike

HYDERABAD: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao was finding excuses to further increase the power tariff, notwithstanding the strain the consumers are subject to from the recent hikes.

The party’s state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar alleged that the state government has started forcing its power sector officials to blame the Union government for making electricity more and more expensive. “This is nothing but a ploy to bring in yet another hike,” Sanjay said.

Addressing a press conference, Sanjay said that the recent comments by the chairman and managing director of TS Genco and TSTransco that the Centre’s decision asking all thermal power generators to use 10% of imported coal along with locally procured would result in higher power costs, is nothing but an excuse to hike charges in the state.

“Instead of using officers to criticize the Centre, as there appear to be no takers for the Chief Minister’s tirades against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rao should explain why Telangana was buying power at Rs 6 to Rs 6.50 per unit when the same can be bought in the open market for Rs 3 to Rs 3.50 per unit,” Sanjay said. He said that the state was lying about the Centre asking for metres for all agricultural power connections.

“The lie is to ensure that the Chief Minister, who has a separate sub-station for his farm house, need not pay for the power he uses. The consumption of power at his farmhouse is enough to cater to the power needs of 40 villages,” Sanjay said.

The government has to pay the state discoms Rs 60,000 crore as dues just for the 24-hour free power to farmers. It has been found that the highest dues from consumers are from Gajwel, Siddipet and the Old City of Hyderabad. Why are power bills not being collected from these areas? Sanjay wanted to know.

The BJP leader alleged that the Bhadradri thermal power plant was a huge scam.

“Who is benefiting from this? The Chief Minister must explain,” he demanded.