Bhatti Ridicules BRS Rs 50,000 Cr Ramagundam Scam Claim
At the current construction rate of Rs 12 crore-Rs 14 crore per MW, the project will not cost more than Rs 11,000 crore but former minister T. Harish Rao has accused the Congress government of indulging in a Rs 50,000-crore scam in the proposed project
Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Saturday ridiculed the BRS’ allegations of a Rs 50,000-crore scam in the proposed 800 MW thermal power project at Ramagundam, as the cost of the plant would be much less.
At the current construction rate of Rs 12 crore- Rs 14 crore per MW, the project will not cost more than Rs 11,000 crore but former minister T. Harish Rao has accused the Congress government of indulging in a Rs 50,000-crore scam in the proposed project.
Speaking to mediapersons at Praja Bhavan, Bhatti also expressed concern over the BRS government’s lack of vision in the matter of adding green energy to the overall capacity, which was reflected in the state not having a single pumped storage project in the last decade. On the contrary, several states including the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh are aggressively pushing pumped storage projects, some of which have became operational, he said adding that “a leader without vision is no leader at all.”
Referring to Harish Rao’s allegations of a scam, the Deputy CM said the problem with BRS leaders was that “they (BRS) think we (Congress) are one among them”, adding: “It is below our dignity to react to baseless allegations but we want to convey the truth to the people.”
He took potshots at the BRS leadership, referring to K. Kavitha asserting that corruption did take place in the Kaleshwaram project. “What more can we say when their own family member calls them corrupt,” Bhatti quipped.
Bhatti said the Congress government would maintain utmost transparency in awarding contracts for the proposed thermal projects at three places with a combined capacity of 2,400 MW —most likely to the Central agency National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). Telangana Genco could also pitch in with a competitive price, he added.
When it was brought to his notice that the Centre had directed states to not go with the NTPC alone, and leave the field open for private players as well, the Deputy CM said the state government was not averse to private participation but preferred the NTPC in keeping with its expertise. “Ultimately we will prefer what will benefit the state,” he said.
Stating that there was no truth in the allegation that the Congress government had turned down NTPC’s offer of power from its expanded facility, Bhatti said it was the BRS government which had ignored the proposal for years while the Congress government had given consent to buy 800 MW of power.
Clarifying on the Congress opposing the thermal power project while in the Opposition, IT minister D. Sridhar Babu said the party had opposed the construction of the Yadadri project far away from the pithead of coal mines as a result of which the government had to bear an additional burden of Rs 1,600 crore every year to transport coal. All the three thermal projects proposed by Congress government are close to coal mines, he added.
