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Free power for next five years: Chief Minister

Arguments between YSR, Naidu lead to walkout from House

PHOTO: P.V. SIVAKUMAR

POWER PLAY: Telugu Desam members led by president N. Chandrababu Naidu walking out of the Assembly on Friday.

HYDERABAD: The Assembly was witness to a game of political one-upmanship between Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Leader of Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday with both claiming credit for developing the power sector and running down the other’s contribution.

Mr. Naidu claimed that power was supplied to the farmers for nine hours a day during his regime whereas the State was ‘plunged into darkness’ due to inefficient handling by the Congress government.

Deriding the TDP leader for promising free power during his ‘mee kosam’ yatra owing to its successful implementation by his government, Dr. Reddy said he was ready to have Mr. Naidu’s claim probed.

These challenges and counter-challenges completely overshadowed the proceedings of the Assembly which could not take up any other item on the listed agenda. The issue, which arose through a listed question on ‘shortage of power in the State’, generated much heat and led to a walkout by the TDP, Left, TRS and BJP members.

At one stage, Finance Minister K. Rosaiah offered to resign if he failed to produce orders issued by Discoms during the TDP regime in 2003 to supply power to farmers for seven hours in two spells.

He later read out the orders. Continuing in the vein, Congress and TDP sought to score political points during the debate.

Claiming credit for bringing the power sector back on rails, Dr. Reddy announced that free power supply to farmers would be continued with and there would be no hike in power tariff for the next five years, if the Congress party was returned to power.

Amid frequent interruptions by TDP members, Chief Minister said free power would be extended to the lift irrigation schemes that had been commissioned.

Once the new projects were commissioned, the government would ensure nine-hour power supply, he said. Supply of gas by Reliance Industries Ltd would ease the power crunch and increase generation. Deriding the TDP for causing misery to the farm sector by frequent hikes in power tariff, he said the government was making the best use of the services of the APGenco, instead of the private power plants which thrived during the then TDP government.

Supply of gas

Dr. Reddy faulted Mr. Naidu for entering into an agreement with the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) for supply of gas to gas-based power projects instead of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

“Even without supplying any power, the then government had committed to pay Rs. 1,200 crore to the firms, which the present regime revised,” he observed.

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