Hyderabad: BRS deputy floor leader T. Harish Rao criticised the Congress government over farmer power cuts after inspecting the Gambhirpur electricity sub-station in Dubbak mandal.
Farmers had complained to Harish Rao and MLA Kotha Prabhakar Reddy about inadequate power supply. They said the shortage was causing their paddy fields to dry up.
Harish Rao conducted a surprise inspection of the sub-station on Saturday. He examined the station’s logbook to check the power supply timings.
He later accused the Congress government of failing to provide adequate electricity to farmers.
Harish Rao said the logbook contradicted the government’s claims about power supply. He also accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of making empty claims.
“According to the logbook, on September 3, power was supplied from 8 AM and switched off at 6 PM. On September 4, power came at 7:45 AM and was switched off at 6 PM. This means farmers are not even getting 10 hours of power. These are not my allegations this is what the sub-station’s own logbook records,” he said.
Farmer power cuts expose supply concerns, says Harish Rao
Harish Rao alleged that the Congress government had failed to honour its election promise of 24-hour free electricity for farmers.
“Revanth Reddy promised 24-hour free power before the elections. Today, his government is unable to provide even half of what KCR provided to farmers,” he said.
The BRS leader also challenged Congress leaders who had previously inspected electricity sub-stations during the BRS government.
He asked those leaders to visit sub-stations again and examine the logbooks under the current government.
“Those who once went to sub-stations and demanded to see the logbooks should now visit the sub-stations and answer farmers. I am ready to meet them anywhere, including Nalgonda,” Harish Rao said.
He also questioned Revanth Reddy’s claim that he worked 18 hours a day.
“If the Chief Minister is really working 18 hours a day, why are farmers getting electricity for barely 10 hours? He must answer the farmers of Telangana,” Harish Rao said.
BRS raises wider concerns over farmer support
Harish Rao alleged that the government had failed farmers on several fronts.
He cited farm loan waivers as one area of concern. He also referred to Rythu Bima and electricity supply.
In addition, he raised the issue of urea availability for farmers.
According to Harish Rao, these issues showed the difficulties farmers faced under the Congress government.
The BRS leader’s inspection followed complaints from farmers over inadequate electricity supply to paddy fields in the Dubbak area.
The Gambhirpur sub-station logbook recorded power supply timings of less than 10 hours on September 3 and September 4, he said.