KTR tweet on coal contract: BJP counters with Rs 20,000 cr coal scam allegation

HYDERABAD: The Bharatiya Janata Party challenged Minister KT Rama Rao to prove his allegations against Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, the BJP candidate for the Munugode bypoll, that he received a coal mining contract from the Centre through illegal means.

Declaring that the BJP was ready to debate with KTR on the issue of coal mining contracts, senior BJP leader, and former MP G Vivek Venkatswamy told reporters on Saturday, that “KTR who tweeted that Rajgopal joined the BJP because he got the contract from the Centre, has no clue. The contract was awarded after Rajgopal linked firm emerged as L1 (the lowest bidder) citing Rs 620 per tonne of coal, which was then pared down by Coal India to Rs 540 per tonne before the contract was awarded. There was nothing illegal about the contract.”

Venkatswamy, the chairman of BJP’s Munugode campaign committee, in turn, alleged that it was the TRS government which robbed the state and its people by awarding high priced coal mining contracts in the state.

He said “KTR should remember that the Tadicherla coal mine block was given to AMR through TS Genco at the cost of Rs 3,500 per tonne of coal. The state gave Rs 3,000 more per tonne to the company. KTR must explain who is the one that is corrupt. The Tadicherla coal mine contract scam is worth Rs 20,000 crore. This must be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.”

He also said that TS Genco lost Rs 20,000 crore through this contract and that loss got added to its overall losses, which in turn have been passed on to people in the form of increased power tariffs. Genco suffered losses because of corruption by the K Chandrashekar Rao government, he added.