HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy declared that the Congress government is ready to order any inquiry on alleged irregularities in paddy lifting, purchasing fine variety rice, introducing new beer brands and power cuts in the state.
In an informal chat with media persons at his residence here on Saturday, Reddy dared BRS leaders K. Chandrashekar Rao, K. T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao to prove their allegations that the Congress government was involved in paddy procurement and liquor scams and imposing power cuts in Telangana.
He said that the state government had saved thousands of crore with its decisions to recover 35 lakh tonnes of paddy lying with private rice millers, which the BRS government had sanctioned for milling without taking any bank guarantees.
The Chief Minister said that the state government will get Rs 7,000 crore if it recovers pending stocks from millers.
"If BRS leaders are ready to pay Rs 7,000 crore to the state government by taking the 35 lakh tonnes of paddy from rice millers, the Congress government is ready to approve the proposal. We are not in favour of any trader or company to dispose-off paddy stocks lying at rice mills," he pointed out.
He offered to order a forensic audit on power supply records at sub-stations to prove who was better at regulating power supply between the Congress and BRS governments. He said that BRS leaders were trying to defame the Congress government, particularly targeting the civil supplies, excise and energy departments with baseless allegations.
Reddy said that the BRS government left the civil supplies corporation in a massive debt, with liabilities amounting to Rs 59,000 crore and losses at Rs 11,000 crore, which the Congress government is now trying to rectify.
The CM dismissed allegations of a Rs 1,000 crore scam as wholly unfounded adding that under the Congress government, the price of a quintal of grain increased from Rs 1,700 to Rs 2,400, resulting in an additional income for farmers. He strongly defended the decision to extend a bonus of Rs 500 per quintal to farmers producing fine quality paddy.
"The Congress government wants to encourage farmers to produce fine variety paddy. Because poor quality rice (doddu biyyam) supplied through ration shops have no takers. Beneficiaries are taking this variety and selling it back to private traders. We want to supply fine quality rice (sanna biyyam) to PDS beneficiaries, welfare hostels and for mid-day meals. That's why we want to encourage farmers to produce fine variety paddy, which we will procure for MSP plus Rs 500 bonus per quintal," he said.
On new beer brands, Reddy said that there is nothing new in a state government allowing new liquor brands.
"The BRS government allowed 100 to 150 new liquor brands, including new beer, on several occasions in the last ten years. We can't impose restrictions if any liquor company approaches us to sell their brands. They will just use our godowns to stock their brands. If people consume, liquor outlets will place orders for those brands. If not, liquor companies take back their stocks. Where is the scam in this?" he wondered.
Referring to power cuts, Revanth Reddy said, "Power consumption increased drastically since the time Congress came to power in December. This can be mainly attributed to the heat conditions for the past three months. Despite this rise in demand, no power cuts were imposed anywhere in the state. There could be power interruptions sometimes due to technical reasons like circuit breaker tripping because of an overloaded circuit. Electricity tripping is being rectified immediately. There is a difference between power cuts and power interruptions and BRS leaders are trying to project power interruptions as power cuts."
On the power supply records at sub-stations, he said "Every substation has log books, which record power supply details, interruptions and cuts. I am ready to order a forensic audit and if BRS leaders have the guts, they should accept my challenge and prove their allegations on power cuts."
