False propaganda, says TRS; likens Revanth to Goebbels

HYDERABAD: In a sudden move, TRS MP Balka Suman, on behalf of the ruling party, accepted the challenge thrown by Congress leader A Revanth Reddy asking the government to come for an open debate on the power being purchased for supplying 24X7 electricity to the agriculture sector. Revanth said he too was ready to take part in the open debate, as proposed by Suman.

“We are accepting Suman’s challenge. TPCC chief spokesperson Dasojru Sravan, Alampur MLA S A Sampath Kumar and I will attend the debate at 2 pm on January 12 to prove our claims that power is being purchased at exorbitant rate, imposing financial burden on the exchequer. The onus of fixing the venue lies with the government. We are ready to attend the debate even if it’s organised at CM’s Camp Office,” Revanth said.

Thus, the State government’s new initiative of providing 24x7 power to agriculture sector for free led to “challenges” and “counter challenges” between ruling TRS and the Congress, on Wednesday. While Congress alleged that the government had suddenly begun giving top priority to supply round-the-clock power to farm sector only to get ‘commissions’ from power generation firms, the TRS said the Congress was casting aspersions on the government’s noble initiative as the opposition party was fearing that farmers would outrightly back the government in the next elections. Both the parties dared the other side to come for an open debate on the issue.

Earlier, it was Revanth who started the war of words. Alleging that the state government is providing 24X7 power to farmers only to get ‘commissions’ from the private power firms, the Kodangal MLA said, “Why is the government buying power from private firms at exorbitant prices, when the same is available at reduced prices? The Congress challenges the Energy Minister to come for an open debate on this issue.”

Then, taking the gauntlet thrown down by Revanth, TRS MP Balka Suman said the ruling party was ready to attend the debate to prove that Revanth’s allegations were wrong. “Revanth is undertaking a false campaign. With his entry into the Congress, TPCC headquarters, has become Goebbels Bhavan,” he attacked, while comparing Revanth with “Joseph Goebbels”, the then minister of propaganda in Nazi Germany, who was known for his false campaigning against rivals.

Launching a broadside against the Kodangal MLA, the TRS MP then asked Revanth to come for an open debate on the issue of power being purchased from various firms. “You decide the time and place of the debate. You can hold it either at Somajiguda Press Club, Basheerbagh Press Club or Telangana Martyrs Memorial. You can bring with you even the Leader of Opposition K Jana Reddy and TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy to the debate,” Suman told Revanth.

Suman hits back

Majority of the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) were made during the regime of N Chandrababu Naidu in erstwhile AP. The present TRS government has nothing to do with them, the TRS MP said.
“The present government has made only two PPAs after it came to power. One with Chattisgarh government and another with Thermal Powertech Corporation owned by Congress leader T Subbirami Reddy. Hence, Revanth should ask Reddy about the alleged commissions,”he added.

In order to eliminate corruption, the State government awarded the contract of construction of Yadadri and Bhadradri Thermal Power Plants to BHEL. Construction of the two plants got delayed only because of the cases filed by the Congress in various courts, he added.

Only 10% works of Bhupalapally Power Plant were done during Congress regime. Remaining 90% works were finished by us, he claimed.

“During the time of bifurcation, the then Congress leader and chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy repeatedly said that after bifurcation, Telangana would not have power. But, that was proved wrong by us, the MP further added.