No going back on free power

Suryapet: Minister for Energy Jagadish Reddy on Monday alleged that the Center was conspiring to subvert the subsidised electricity being provided to the poor people in Telangana. Speaking to scribes here, he stated that providing free electricity to the farmers had become a sort of embarrassment to the Centre as it could not replicate the scheme in the states run by the BJP governments.

He said the BRS government would not waver on the issue and would continue to extend 24x7 free power to the farmers, no matter what the financial burden on the state exchequer. In this regard, he flayed the Centre for putting pressure on the state to make advanced payment to Discoms in respect of the subsidised electricity supply scheme. He strongly opposed the Centre's directive to fix metres to agricultural power connections.

The Minister also alleged that the Center was taking steps to privatise the power sector in the country, which would unduly burden the poor and the farmers. The subsidy to the farmers was targeted at reducing their farm expenditure and also ensure food security in the country. He made it clear that Telangana would oppose the new central electricity policy.