No scope for graft or irregularity in PPAs: Jagadish Reddy
Former Energy Minister and BRS leader G. Jagadish Reddy wrote to the Commission of Inquiry (CoI), led by Justice L. Narasimha Reddy, on Saturday reiterating that there was no scope for any graft or irregularity in the agreements reached at between the BRS government and public sector undertakings.
In his response sent by email and a hard copy through his staff following receipt of a notice from the commission last week seeking his views on the deposition made by officials and individuals before the CoI so far, he objected to the information leaked to the media in the middle of the inquiry by holding a press conference by the commission chairman.
He stated that there was no scope, whatsoever, in the matter of power purchase from Chhattisgarh and the construction of Bhadradri and Yadadri thermal power projects with BHEL being the executing agency. He explained that Chhattisgarh energy was purchased at ₹3.9 per unit, when the Telangana’s distribution utilities were purchasing energy even from public sector companies like NTPC at ₹17 a unit in the market or exchange.
Explaining that N. Chandrababu Naidu, who headed the Andhra Pradesh Government when Telangana State came into being in 2014, had tried to trouble the newly-formed Stated by forcibly taking away the 460 megawatt Lower Sileru project, which generated hydro-electric power throughout the year along with seven mandals of the erstwhile Khammam, Mr. Reddy said that the former also denied power generated in the generating stations in AP territory, though the reorganisation Act mandated sharing in power in the 48:52 ratio by AP and Telangana.
As Telangana had no power (transmission) corridor to purchase energy from the other regional grid and it was necessary to have power purchase agreement with a generating station in other regional grid to book a transmission slot in the national grid of PGCIL. Accordingly, the PPA was signed with Chhattisgarh to meet energy needs as we as to have slot in the national grid.
Further, he wrote that Telangana had signed agreement for purchase of energy from Chhattisgarh at ₹3.9 per unit, while Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had procured energy around same time at ₹4.9 per unit. Similarly, construction of new generating stations was taken up to meet energy needs of Telangana and when 1,080 MW Bhadradri was initiated with sub-critical technology, 17 other such projects were under construction in the country.
He stated that misinformation was being spread that Chhattisgarh power had resulted in ₹6,000 crore loss to the State.
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