Bhatti Must Come Clean on Power Sector Projects: Harish

Hyderabad:Former minister and senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao on Monday doubled down on his allegations of a huge scam in the making in the power sector, over the government plans of building three power stations of 800 MW each.

He said that by the time each of the proposed plants were built, they would cost around Rs 15,000 crore apiece, totalling around Rs 45,000 crore. “That is why we said this is a huge scam. The state’s Genco has to provide 25 per cent of the cost. Where will this investment come from,” he asked.

Harish Rao also ridiculed the claim that no decision was taken about one of the three thermal plants at Makthal which is far away from a coal pithead. “Only after we exposed this did Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka say no decision was taken on this plant. But, after the last Cabinet meeting, a thermal plant at Makthal was officially announced. Why is Bhatti lying,” Harish Rao asked.

Harish Rao said Bhatti, at his recent presentation, did not say why Telangana was refusing power supply from the National Thermal Power Corporation. He said the NTPC was ready to give 2,400 MW but the state said 800 MW was enough.

The former minister said the NTPC was willing to supply power at Rs 4.12 per unit while power from the new plants would cost Rs 7.70 a unit. Each unit will cost at least Rs 3 more and over a 25-year lifetime of a thermal plant, will burden the people with Rs 82,000 crore in additional charges, he said.

Harish Rao also demanded that the State Election Commission take action against Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for flouting the poll code by inaugurating projects as he did in Makthal on Monday. He said the Congress government was packing key power sector positions with people from Andhra region and demanded that only those, with experience in the sector, and from Telangana, be given such postings.