MP Chamala blames BRS government for adopting costly technology

Bhuvanagiri Lok Sabha member Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy on Tuesday alleged that the Yadadri Thermal Power Plant (YTPP) would impose an additional financial burden of ₹1 lakh crore on Telangana over its 40-year operational lifespan due to the decisions taken by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government.

Speaking at a public hearing organised by the Telangana Electricity Regulatory Commission (TGERC), Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy criticised the previous government for selecting a site near the Andhra Pradesh border for the power plant instead of locating it closer to coal and water resources.

He alleged that the use of subcritical technology at the Yadadri and Bhadradri thermal power stations had substantially increased power generation costs. He further claimed that the Yadadri plant was designed to operate on G9-grade coal, necessitating coal procurement from abroad and Coal India.

The MP said the Congress government had made the Yadadri Thermal Power Station operational after coming to power, while the Bhadradri Thermal Power Station had commenced operations during the BRS regime.

Taking exception to the remarks made by former Energy Minister G. Jagadish Reddy at the hearing, he accused the BRS leader of making misleading statements about the State’s power sector.

He alleged that the BRS government had privatised the Koyagudem and Sathupalli coal blocks and burdened Telangana with debts despite the State having been formed on the aspirations of water, funds and employment.