Hyderabad, Oct 31 (Zed News Bureau):
Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of the North Eastern Region, G. Kishan Reddy, addressed a press meet at the Telangana BJP headquarters in Nampally, highlighting the government’s initiatives in the power sector and criticizing the Congress and BRS governments for their failures in Telangana’s energy and minority welfare sectors.

Kishan Reddy stated that India has achieved record-level electricity production, with 74% generated from thermal power plants out of a total of 500 gigawatts. The country currently maintains a coal reserve sufficient for 22 days. He emphasized the success of the PM-KUSUM scheme, allowing farmers to generate their own electricity through solar-powered pumps, and the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, under which millions of households are now producing solar energy on their rooftops and selling excess power to the grid.

He revealed that the Centre has approved 450 MW of decentralized solar power projects for Telangana, and following his letter to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, 40,000 rooftop solar units have been sanctioned for the state, with 20,000 to be installed in the first phase.

Referring to Ramagundam NTPC, Kishan Reddy said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a ₹12,000 crore power project in 2023 as part of the first phase of a larger 4,000 MW thermal project. The NTPC is now proceeding with the second phase of 3×800 MW units, allocating 80% of the generated power to Telangana. However, the state government has agreed to purchase only one-third of this power. He urged the Telangana government to procure the full share of power produced by NTPC.

The minister also mentioned the 100 MW floating solar power plant completed under NTPC, with an additional 56 MW under construction and 121 MW more progressing rapidly. He further said that NLC India Ltd. is ready to invest ₹10,000 crore in solar projects in Telangana, provided the state government allots the required land.

Kishan Reddy warned that Telangana’s electricity demand has risen by 9.8%, and by 2030 it will reach 33,773 MW. He blamed the BRS government under KCR for pushing power utilities into massive debt, saying that both BRS and Congress governments have left DISCOMs burdened with ₹30,000 crore in dues. He added that the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd. is owed ₹42,000 crore by the state government, and demanded that immediate action be taken to clear these dues to ensure justice for Singareni workers and their families.

Taking a dig at the Congress, Kishan Reddy said,

“For two years, the Congress government neglected minorities, and now, just before the Jubilee Hills by-election, they have suddenly remembered them — appointing Mohammad Azharuddin as minister merely for votes.”

He questioned why no minority representative was given a ministerial position earlier if the Congress truly cared about them, accusing the ruling party of political opportunism and misuse of power ahead of elections.

The Union Minister concluded by emphasizing that power supply and energy security are not political issues but matters of Telangana’s future, urging the state government to cooperate with the Centre for sustainable development and reliable electricity supply.