No overnight coal crisis as claimed by Jagan: Keshav
AP Govt not paying Rs 20,000 Cr dues
Coal imports stalled due to non-payments to thermal plants
APERC should order Govt to pay Rs 12,000 Cr to Discoms
VIJAYAWADA/AMARAVATI: Chairman of Assembly Public Accounts Committee Payyavula Keshav on Saturday said that Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy was bent on spreading misinformation after pushing the surplus power sector of Andhra Pradesh into a severe and intractable crisis.
Keshav questioned the rationale behind the Chief Minister writing to PM Modi instead of taking corrective measures to prevent the impending collapse of the power sector. Jagan Reddy’s letter contained total lies with regard to the coal crisis and power demand. The CM should rather explain why his Government was buying power in the open market at very high prices at the expense of the State thermal plants. As a result, these companies stopped coal imports which precipitated this crisis.
Addressing a press conference here, the PAC Chairman accused the CM of pushing the surplus power sector in AP into an unforeseen turmoil. The State Government was not paying Rs. 20,000 dues towards subsidies and bills. The AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) was not taking any action in this regard. On the other hand, Rs. 50,000 Cr current burdens were being placed on the ordinary public in the name of true-up charges and the like.
Keshav termed it as unfortunate that the Chief Minister referred to increased post-Covid power demand in Europe and China. But the fact was that the power consumption in AP was going along the projected figures. There were no new industries and agricultural consumption was also lesser. The sudden attempt to project overnight increase in demand was only to divert the attention and shift blame to the Centre. The Chief Minister cannot shirk his responsibility for the thoughtless policies that ravaged the power sector.
The PAC Chairman asked why Jagan Reddy was not using his so-called good relations with the Telangana Government for coal supplies if there was really an emergency like situation of drying up stocks in a day or two. AP could make use of the well established rail and logistics linkages to get supplies from the Singareni Collieries. Jagan Reddy’s ego and vendetta battles were only causing permanent damage to the innocent people and their future.
Condemning the YCP’s ‘non-stop politicisation’, Payyavula Keshav said that the Chief Minister made lots of allegations against Chandrababu Naidu over agreements for 8,000 MW renewable energy. Jagan Reddy should now explain to the people why his regime was going to buy 10,000 MW from Adani company. Why was Jagan Reddy doing the same thing if it was a mistake? Naidu put AP as a role model in the country with reforms, contrary to the damaging role played by CM Jagan.
Keshav also questioned the role being played by the APERC in the ongoing destruction of the power sector in the State. What was APERC doing when the State Government was not paying Rs. 12,000 dues to the Discoms towards subsidies? There was another Rs. 8,000 Cr dues in the form of unpaid bills from Government firms and offices. While the Government was defaulting on thousands of crores of bills, the poor families and coolies were made to bear increased current charges burdens.
The PAC Chairman asked how the CM could ask the PM to prevent a situation where the power companies would have to go to the National Companies Law Tribunal (NCLT). It was Jagan Reddy’s policies that had caused huge losses to the Krishnapatnam Thermal Power Station and the Hindujas. The CM’s conspiracy was pushing them to the verge of bankruptcy. The companies, who already invested in AP, were made to lose heavily while the Government was buying power in the open market.
Keshav said that the AP-based thermal power companies stopped coal imports only after lack of payments, purchases and support from the State Government. The State could not run even the Rayalaseema Thermal Power Plant (RTPP) and the Vijayawada Thermal Power Station (VTPS) beyond 50 percent capacity.
