Monopoly aim has TRS opposing Electricity Bill: JP MP D Arvind

HYDERABAD: BJP MP D Arvind has accused the State government of opposing the Electricity (Amendment) Bill with the sole intention of maintaining the government’s monopoly on the energy sector so that energy could be purchased at a higher tariff in return for payment of kickbacks to his family members.

Addressing the media at BJP party office on Thursday, he spoke at length about how short-sighted Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s policies in the energy sector were and how the State government had failed to fulfill the election promises in energy production.

“The 2014 election manifesto of TRS spoke about making the State energy surplus,establishing 10 thermal power plants and creating lakhs of jobs in the sector. However, only one of the four 270 MW energy generating units in Bhadradri Thermal Power Plant have become operational,” he said

“Even the Yadadri Thermal Power Plant with five units of 800 MW capacity is still on paper, and establishing one of them could take until 2025, and to operationalise the rest of them could take time till 2029. By that time, it is doubtful if coal-based energy generation will be allowed or not. Moreover, the green tribunal has suspended the environmental clearance of the Yadadri plant,” Arvind pointed out.

He questioned why the State government has failed to spend on the revival of Ramagundam Thermal Power Plant, also observed that funding of research on renewable energy, cutting-down thermal power generation and consequently reducing pollution was never done.