Congress conspiring to end free power to farmers, alleges KTR

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

BRS working president KT Rama Rao criticised the Congress government for its efforts to eliminate free electricity for farmers by implementing prepaid power meters and ultimately privatising the power sector.

He expressed strong disapproval of the Congress government’s plans to set up prepaid meters for domestic use and urged the public to resist this initiative.

Speaking at a party meeting in Amberpet on Sunday, Rama Rao highlighted that the State Cabinet had agreed to replace current electricity meters with prepaid meters in both rural and urban areas, including those used for agriculture. He claimed that the Congress government's proposal was aimed at encouraging private sector involvement in the power industry and ultimately transferring operations to corporate entities.

The BRS working president accused the Congress of conspiring to abolish free electricity for farmers by installing meters for agricultural pumps, asserting that the introduction of prepaid meters was merely a step towards privatizing the electricity sector.

KT Rama Rao recalled that the BRS had warned during the Assembly elections that the free electricity program for farmers would be at risk if the Congress gained power. He noted that BRS chief and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had resisted pressure from the central government to introduce prepaid meters, despite facing alleged restrictions on loans amounting to Rs 30,000 crore.

However, he claimed that the Congress government now intends to roll out prepaid electricity meters within three months and encouraged citizens to oppose this action. He stated, “Before prepaid meters reach every household and agricultural motor, people should politically disconnect from the Congress.”

The former minister also accused the Congress government of administrative failures, corruption, and not fulfilling election promises, despite having completed nearly half of its term. He remarked that public dissatisfaction with the government’s policies and governance was growing.

Regarding civic issues in Hyderabad, Rama Rao criticized the Congress government for demolitions carried out under the guise of HYDRAA, stating that while the previous BRS government built houses for the poor, the current administration was destroying thousands of homes, leaving many people homeless.

He also directed his criticism towards Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy regarding the proposed Future City project, claiming that the government was neglecting existing urban infrastructure and essential civic services while making ambitious promises about new developments.

On the Musi river rejuvenation project, the BRS working president claimed that significant sewage treatment plant projects had already begun during the BRS government and accused the current administration of exploiting the initiative for contracts and commissions. He argued that extensive demolitions linked to the Musi rejuvenation were causing distress to many residents.

He announced that the BRS would soon initiate digital membership enrollment and conduct training sessions for party workers across all constituencies. He emphasized that the party would prioritize candidates who actively engaged in public issues when selecting nominees for upcoming municipal corporation elections in Hyderabad.