The Communist Party of India (CPI) has opposed the decision of the State government to fix smart meters to agricultural pumpsets at an estimated cost of ₹2,000 crore. The plan to fix meters for 18.26 lakh agricultural pumpsets in the State by April 1, 2021, was intended to deprive farmers of the free power scheme, the party said.
The CPI will launch another agitation from Srikakulam district against the ‘anti-farmer’ measure, CPI State assistant secretary J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy told a media conference here on Tuesday. He alleged that the Centre was keen on privatisation of Discoms as part of its larger plan to hand them over to the corporate sector. It was exerting pressure on the States to do away with free power schemes. The Centre was also snatching the powers of the States, one after the other, starting with the GST. The ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and the Opposition TDP, instead of opposing the moves of the Central government, were trading charges against each other, ignoring the interests of the State, he alleged.
Mr. Murthy recalled that the Left parties had organised a massive protest at Basheerbagh in Hyderabad in the combined State in 2000, when the then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu tried to tax the people of the State by increasing the power tariff exorbitantly, in the name of power sector reforms. The TDP government had ordered firing on the protesters, which had led to the death of three persons. Mr. Naidu had to go back on his decision.
Now, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government, instead of opposing the decision of the Centre, was preparing to install smart meters. Though the State government was saying that cash would be transferred to the accounts of the farmers, its implementation was doubtful.
He said that a roundtable would be organised by the Left parties with farmers associations to create awareness among them.
Mr. Murthy alleged that the appointment of Sanchaita Gajapathi Raju as chairperson of the Simhachalam Trust Board was done to grab lands belonging to the temple.
He said that both the Chairperson and the Endowments Department owe an explanation to the people on the issue.