Hyderabad: BRS leaders staged a protest at the Singareni Head Office on Thursday over the state’s power and coal supply situation. The BRS power protest targeted the Congress government over alleged power cuts and inadequate coal supplies. The party leaders accused the government of failing to manage the power sector effectively.
Former minister and TGBKS honorary president Koppula Eshwar led the delegation. Former minister T Jeevan Reddy and Quthbullapur MLA KP Vivekananda joined the protest. MLCs Dasoju Sravan and Shambipur Raju also participated. Former MLA Diwakar Rao and TGBKS president Miryala Raji Reddy were also part of the delegation.
Eshwar alleged that widespread power cuts had caused hardship to households. He also claimed that industries had already faced “power holidays”. Moreover, he alleged that the government was considering similar restrictions during the upcoming Yasangi and summer crop seasons.
BRS power protest raises coal supply concerns
Eshwar attributed the decline in power generation to inadequate coal supplies from Singareni Collieries. He further alleged that the state government owed the company between Rs 52,000 crore and Rs 60,000 crore.
He also claimed that coal production had declined substantially. According to Eshwar, production stood at around 72 lakh metric tonnes during the previous BRS government. Meanwhile, BRS leaders said their protests at power stations and Singareni Bhavan sought to highlight problems in power-sector management.
Eshwar also alleged that officials had failed to give satisfactory answers to their questions about power cuts. The BRS power protest formed part of the party’s campaign to raise its allegations over electricity supply and coal availability.