Why govt dodging PPAs with NTPC, Laxman questions CM

Hyderabad: The BJP OBC Morcha national president Dr K Laxman on Friday questioned Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for his government not responding to letters of the NTPC on entering into agreements for power supply.

Addressing the media here he said, as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act-2014 (APRA-2014), 4,000 mw thermal power plants had to be established in Telangana to meet its power deficit. Accordingly, the Centre had spent for production of 1,600 mw at the Ramagundam plant and cleared another for establishing 2,400 mw plant. Also, 85% of power generated from these plants has to be supplied to Telangana.

‘However, the BRS government shunned entering into power purchase agreements (PPPs) with NTPC despite the power supplied being cheaper. Instead, it had entered into PPPs with Chattisghar for higher pricing for commissions and pushed the State discoms into a debt trap’.

Dr Laxman said the NTPC had recently written three letters to the government from October to January this year. It asked to respond by February 10 on whether it wishes to enter into PPPs for power supply; failing, it would sell power to others in the region. ‘Yet, there was no response from the government to the NTPC offer to supply power at Rs.1.04 paise. "Whether the government wants to walk in footsteps of BRS government to further push the discoms into the red for commissions," he asked. ‘The Congress and the CM have made several allegations while releasing a whitepaper pointing out corruption and irregularities in the Yadadri and Bhadradri sub-critical power plants and vowed to probe them.

It is already March and with the onset of summer; the State might face a power shortage. The NTPC plants were established wholly with Centre's investment, but to supply 85% power generated to be supplied to Telangana.

Dr Laxman asked is it that the government announcement to probe Medigadda, Dharani land scamps and others was meant to threaten the beneficiaries of ill-gotten wealth to admit into his party and to share the booty?

Demanding the CM to explain to people the PPAs with the NTPC offering cheaper power supply, he said, farmers and cattle would suffer due to power shortages during summer and asked him to take immediate steps in this regard before the State fell into darkness.