Ready For Any Inquiry In Power Purchases Issue: Jagadish Reddy

MLA and former energy minister G Jagadish Reddy today said that the Telangana government had not suffered any loss in power purchases, and that he was ready for any inquiry into the matter.

Speaking to media persons at Telangana Bhavan, Reddy said, "We have already answered the queries raised by the Congress and BJP leaders in the Assembly when we were in power, and also released white papers. The government has still set up an inquiry commission alleging irregularities in power purchases, and to investigate the agreements made by the previous government. This is clearly a witchhunt," he said.

Reddy alleged that the Justice Narasimha Reddy Commission, which was set up to look into the alleged irregularities in power purchases in the BRS government, appeared to have come to a decision even before the investigation. "It is evident from the comments made by the Commission's chairman, Justice Narasimha Reddy, on former CM KCR," he said. "That is why KCR had written a letter to Narasimha Reddy asking him to step down from the Commission."

"We are hopeful that Justice Narasimha Reddy will step down. I have full respect for Narasimha Reddy. But after he became the Chairman of the Commission, his views changed," he added.

Alleging that the formation of the Commission was done as part of a conspiracy, he said, "They are just trying to throw mud at KCR. How did Justice Narasimha Reddy hold a press conference on June 11 after giving time to KCR till June 15? We wanted to give a reply as per the given deadline, but Justice Narasimha Reddy expressed the views of the Congress and BJP leaders in the press conference. No Commission in the country has given leaks in the middle. How can the judgement be pronounced before the trial is over? Many commissions have been abolished in the united State. The ERC is an independent commission. Its verdict will be final, not the verdict of the Commission."

"We entered into an agreement with a Central government organization. If there is any corruption, the Centre should reveal the facts. And the States of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu bought electricity at higher rates. Telangana, on the other hand, purchased electricity at Rs 3.90 per unit," he said.

"In Ramagundam, Bhupalapalli, Kothagudem, Vijayawada and RTPC, electricity is being generated through sub-critical technology. We set up the Bhadradri thermal power plant with 800 MW of capacity using super-critical technology. It is with transparency that we entrusted the construction of the Bhadradri and Yadadri thermal power plants to the public sector company BHEL," Reddy explained.