Kodali Nani tears into Chandrababu Naidu on free power

Amaravati: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is committed to provide free power to farmers on a long-term basis and the present changes will in no way affect it while TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who has a history of ditching the farmers and neglecting agriculture sector, has no moral right to comment on power sector, said civil supplies minister Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao alias Nani.

Speaking to media at YSRCP central office at Mangalagiri on Friday, he said that it was YS Rajasekhar Reddy who brought in the concept of free power and has proved that it was possible and now his son Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has gone a step further by contemplating to generate green energy dedicated for farmers' free power. The pilot project will begin in Srikakulam and will cover the entire state by March and the fruits can be reaped for a long time.

The new scheme is a permanent solution to safeguard the interests of farmers and discoms (power distribution companies) and implementing the nine-hour free power to farmers in the right earnest.

The Minister clarified that the state government will not impose any additional burden on farmers with the introduction of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of free power subsidy, but will bring in more transparency and accountability in to the system.

The electricity bills of farmers will be sent to the government and amount will be credited to escrow accounts of farmers, which would be paid to discoms. This is to ensure power subsidy dues are not kept pending as it happened in the previous government which left dues of Rs 8,000 crore and also to make sure that farmers receive nine-hour free electricity.

Recalling the Basheerbagh incident, where protesters were killed during the agitation against the reforms and hike in power tariff under Naidu's rule, he said after witnessing such a heart wrenching incidents, Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy promised to provide free power to farmers.

He said now Chandrababu Naidu with his friendly media has been carrying out false propaganda against the government. "He was never a farmer nor did he care for them but has only interests in commercial activity. While the TDP leader can wage a war on mosquitoes and could face typhoons like Hudhud, how come he was sitting far away in Hyderabad in the times of corona," he asked.

MLA Vasantha Krishna Prasad slammed Chandrababu Naidu for not keeping up his promise of waiving farm loans during his regime and said that the TDP chief was a failed opposition leader for leaving the public welfare with the fear of pandemic.

Reacting to the allegations of TDP leader Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao on illegal mining in Mylavaram constituency, the MLA said it was Devineni Uma who got the lease for quarries in the area and used to collect money from quarry and crusher owners illegally. The MLA said that he will soon expose the corruption of Uma during the TDP regime including the amount misused in the name of Krishna Pushkaralu and various irrigation projects.