Jagan under fire for power tariff protest

Vijayawada: Several ministers condemned the protests by YSRCP leaders over power tariff hike stating that the previous YSRCP government itself is responsible for power sector crisis.

Speaking to media persons at TDP central office on Friday, minister for women and child wel-fare Gummidi Sandhya Rani said that the YSRCP government had increased power tariff 10 times during the past five years, imposing a burden of Rs 32,000 crore on power consumers.

She said during TDP rule, AP was a power surplus state by 2019.

The minister said the YSRCP government cancelled the power purchasing agreements entered with several solar and wind generating agencies. The state government is making efforts to promote solar and wind energy generation, she added.

Criticising the protests of YSRCP leaders over power tariff hike, minister for BC welfare Sa-vitha said that Jagan Mohan Reddy himself recommended to Electricity Regulatory Commis-sion (ERC) for power tariff hike. She said with the misrule of Jagan, the discoms were forced to bear additional burden of Rs 1,29,503 crore. She said that the earlier TDP government never increased the power tariff. She challenged the YSRCP to come for an open debate on power tariff.

Minister for energy Gottipati Ravi Kumar said that Jagan Mohan Reddy himself recommended for power tariff hike and this proposal was made during YSRCP rule. He said that the YSRCP has no moral right to stage dharnas as the YSRCP government itself had increased tariff 10 times during past five years. He said that the YSRCP leaders who recommended power tariff hike now staging protests for political mileage only.

Former minister and Chilakaluripeta MLA Prathipati Pulla Rao criticised Jagan Mohan Reddy for enacting new dramas as he could not come to power. He said the YSRCP is unable to digest the support of the people to the coalition government.

“The burden of electricity charges is part of Jagan’s corruption. It was he who sent the pro-posals to the ERC to impose a burden on the people. The loss to the state’s power sector is Rs 1,29,503 crore due to his vindictive and inefficient policies. Electricity charges were in-creased 10 times in the last five years during Jagan’s rule and Rs 32,166 crore was collected. A debt of Rs 50,000 crore was imposed on power utilities during his tenure,” said Pulla Rao.