Hyderabad: Stop spreading lies or else no loans says Union Minister RK Singh to Telangana State Government

Hyderabad : Denying allegations of stopping loans to Telangana and insisting on fixing of meters, Union Minister of Power RK Singh on Thursday said if the State government spreads lies, the Centre would definitely stop loans.

Addressing a press conference. along with Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy during the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee. he said leaders here spread rumours that the Centre was stopping loans to Telangana.

“Aapka Mukhyamanti Jhootboltafirtahaiki Kendra Sarkar meter lagwarahihai… (Your Chief Minister goes around, and spreads lies that the Central government is insisting on meters). We said meters can be fixed to all except farmers. Another lie he says is about privatisation, which is also a lie,” said Singh. The Union minister said the REC has sanctioned Rs 1,57,306 crore to Telangana, disbursed loans worth Rs 1,38,000 crore; the balance is Rs 19,700 core. “If they spread lies that we are stopping, we will definitely stop the loans,” Singh said.

He informed that the PFC has earmarked Rs 1.10 crore loans and disbursed Rs 91,000 crore loan; remaining RS 21,000 crore would be disbursed soon. The minister said some loans were stopped because the government got a report that the State was near bankruptcy. “We were told that the financial condition of the State is such that it cannot repay loans,” he stated.

Singh said the Centre had to import coal because there is a gap between production and supply. There is a shortfall of 2.4 lakh tonnes of coal; if we don’t import coal, there will be a blackout in a large part of the country.

The minister said the Centre had completed two units of power projects in NTPC with 1,600 mws. The commercial operation of one unit will be done on September 26; the second unit will be taken up in December. He clarified that the Centre would take up three more units even if the State government does not come forward.

The minister said the Centre gave electricity connection to 2.9 crore households in the last nine years. Transmission lines were laid for 1.97 lakh km to bring entire country into one grid. There is no such grid in the entire country. The dues to power utilities were decreased by half by the government. The dues which were Rs 1.34 lakh crore are now Rs 66 crore. The losses of 22.8 per cent were brought down to 16 per cent.

Kishan Reddy said the BRS government was misleading farmers in Telangana stating that meters will be fixed. The Centre gave loans to Telangana which no other State was given. Replying to a question, he said the Yadadri power project was given clearance.