Hyderabad: Former minister and BRS Legislature Party deputy floor leader Harish Rao criticised Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy over the Telangana power crisis. He accused the government of shifting responsibility for its failures onto officials instead of addressing the problems. In a social media post, Harish Rao warned the Chief Minister that public anger could have political consequences.
Harish Rao blamed the government’s alleged lack of preparedness for power cuts and electricity shortages. He said officials had failed to maintain adequate coal stocks and conduct timely reviews of the power sector. However, he argued that the Chief Minister and ministers were now holding officials responsible while avoiding accountability themselves.
He also said the Meteorological Department and scientists had warned about the effects of El Niño for the past nine months. According to Harish Rao, the government ignored those warnings and failed to prepare for the situation.
The BRS leader criticised the government for threatening to suspend officials only after power cuts began. He compared the response to trying to find a remedy after the damage had already occurred.
Telangana power crisis revives dispute over official accountability
Harish Rao drew a parallel between the electricity shortage and the government’s handling of prohibited land lists. He alleged that the government had made mistakes while preparing those lists and then attempted to shift the blame onto officials. He said the administration was following the same approach during the current power crisis.
Responding to Revanth Reddy’s comparison of El Niño with a disaster such as COVID-19, Harish Rao questioned why the Chief Minister did not recognise his own administration as a greater problem. His remarks formed part of a broader attack on the government’s handling of the electricity situation.
Harish Rao also responded to the Chief Minister’s warnings against officials. He cautioned Revanth Reddy that both the public and government employees could turn against him if the administration continued to shift responsibility for its failures.
The BRS leader’s criticism focused on power shortages, coal stocks, the government’s response to El Niño warnings and the threatened suspension of officials.