Telangana CM orders judicial inquiry into power purchase agreement with Chhattisgarh

Hyderabad, Dec 21 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday ordered a judicial inquiry into power purchase with Chhattisgarh by the previous BRS government and also into alleged corruption in Bhadradri and Yadadri thermal power projects.

He made the announcement in Assembly while accepting a challenge thrown by BRS legislator and former Energy Minister Jagdish Reddy during a debate on energy sector after the government tabled a white paper in the house.

Revanth Reddy said that the previous government entered agreement with Chhattisgarh for 1,000 MW power supply and the government is incurring the burden of Rs 1,362 crore due to agreement.

He alleged that the previous government entered the Chhattisgarh agreement without tenders.

"We were thrown out of the house by marshals for fighting on Chhattisgarh agreement. An official was demoted and posted in the remote area for releasing the facts on Chhattisgarh agreement," he said.

The previous government signed an agreement with BHEL to establish the Yadadri thermal power project. The company used the expired sub-critical technology and the government incurred huge losses, he said.

Revanth Reddy said that thousands of crores of corruption also took place in Bhadradri power project. He said the previous government did not disclose the facts in the house in its nine and half year rule. He claimed that Congress government scanned the entire Energy Department and is presenting the facts in the house.

The rulers of previous government should accept the facts in a dignified manner, he said, also adding that the government will constitute a fact-finding committee comprising representatives of all parties on 24-hour power supply.

He had said in the past that the state government had spent Rs 9.7 crore for the construction of infrastructure to generate one MW thermal power, while Jharkhand achieved it at a cost of Rs 5.5 crore. He had claimed that as a result of escalation of costs, the government suffered a loss of Rs 4,538 crore in the Bhadradri plant and Rs 9,384 crore in Yadadri.