BRS hits back at govt., terms as lies claims on energy, water for irrigation

BRS leader and former Minister G. Jagadish Reddy.

Former Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA from Suryapet, G. Jagadish Reddy, has hit back at the Congress Government for blaming the previous BRS rule for the present drought conditions, forgetting that the Met department had warned about the El Nino impact nine months back itself.

Speaking to newspersons here on Saturday, he said several countries across the world had become alert with the El Nino forecast and taken measures to reduce the impact, but the Telangana government had woken up very late and blamed BRS instead of taking relief measures.

Not even a kilowatt of power capacity was installed in the Revanth Reddy rule as the work on Yadadri Thermal Power Station was in the advanced stages of progress when BRS demitted the office. He accused the government of creating a crisis as the Congress leaders would not get commissions in purchase of power in the energy exchange.

The BRS leader, who held the portfolio of energy in the KCR Cabinet, alleged that the Congress Government was speaking lies by stating that energy was not available for purchase in the energy market even at ₹15 per unit (kWh) since it was available even at ₹6.74 per unit. During some off-peak hours it was even available at ₹1.8 per unit. One would know the facts in the IEX (Indian Energy Exchange).

He stated that the Congress leaders had opposed YTPS when in Opposition, but it was the same project that had come to their rescue now and asked them whether they had the guts to shut down the project. He also rejected the Congress argument that YTPS was set up far away from coal mines and asked why Vijayawada and Kadapa thermal power projects were set up when there was no coal there.

While YTPS was only 250 km away from Singareni coal mines, Vijayawada was 530 km away and it was 1,200 km away from Mahanadi Coalfields. From Kadapa, Mahanadi Coalfields were 1,500 km away.

On utilising the river waters, he alleged that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had overlooked the interests of his native district (combined Mahabubnagar) to help his political master and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu take away Krishna water for 700 km to Kuppam. In case of availing Godavari water, the government had wilfully kept Kannepally pump house shut though lifting was possible even when the Medigadda Barrage was in free flow condition.