Senior Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former minister T Harish Rao has launched a sharp attack on the Congress-led Telangana government, alleging a massive financial burden on the public through its power sector decisions. Rao claimed the government's push for new thermal power projects would saddle citizens with an additional cost of a staggering ₹82,000 crore over 25 years.
Questioning the Rejection of Cheaper NTPC Power
Speaking from the Telangana Bhavan on Monday, Harish Rao singled out Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka and IT Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu for defending the state's plans. He presented a stark contrast in power tariffs to underline his point. According to Rao, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is offering to supply electricity at ₹4.12 per unit from its existing plant in the state.
He questioned why the state government was rejecting this ready and cheaper option in favour of building new plants under the state-run TG Genco, which would produce power at a significantly higher cost of ₹7.70 per unit. "Why is the govt rejecting this and opting for state-run TG Genco plants that will cost 7.70 per unit?" Rao asked during his address.
Allegations of Commission and Ignored Appeals
Harish Rao alleged that the decision to proceed with three new thermal plants in Ramagundam, Makthal, and Palvoncha, despite NTPC's available supply, reveals an intent to benefit from inflated project costs. He pointed out that NTPC has made repeated requests and even a direct appeal by its Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) for the Telangana government to purchase the full 2,400 MW from its local plant.
"Why prefer a 5-year construction timeline over NTPC's ready supply? Is it because there are no commissions from NTPC?" Rao posed, insinuating potential financial motives behind ignoring the central utility's offer. He further highlighted a contradiction in the government's stance, noting that while the Congress spoke about promoting green energy in the assembly, it is now pushing for coal-based thermal plants.
Contradiction with Clean Energy Goals
The BRS leader reminded the government of its own Clean Energy Policy, which set a target of generating 20,000 MW of renewable energy by 2030. "Congress spoke of green energy in the assembly but is now building thermal plants. The Clean Energy Policy targeted 20,000 MW of renewables by 2030. What changed?" he questioned, accusing the administration of deviating from its stated sustainable energy commitments.
This accusation from a key opposition figure sets the stage for a major political debate in Telangana, centering on public finance, energy policy, and allegations of wasteful expenditure that could impact electricity bills for decades.
