Hyderabad: The opposition parties, especially the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) have been strongly opposing the establishment of Telangana Rythu Discom, a new power distribution company by the state government. Their argument has been primaril;y focused on the intent of the state government.
The public hearing conducted by the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) on the application filed by the state government on Friday, May 29, seeking license for the establishment of a new and third discom bore the witness to arguments made by the opposition parties and the ruling Congress.
Especially the BRS contingent went ballistic to oppose the setting up of a new discom.
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Some dark force behind the decision: Former minister
Former energy minister and Suryapet MLA G Jagadish Reddy suspected that there was some dark force pressurizing the Congress government to do so.
He strongly objected to what he claimed, was the state government’s excuse that the new discom was being established to check the pilferage of power meant for farmers, for other uses.
“We have never heard an allegation in the past that farmers’ will steal power,” he claimed.
Immediately Chief Managing Director of Telangana Rythu Power Distribution Company Limited (TGRPDCL) Musharraf Ali Faruqui, who gave the initial presentation on the Rythu Discom stood and objected to the statement of Reddy, saying he never said that.
“I only said that energy accounting is priority,” he asserted.
Pointing out that the state government was planning to depute 1,000 employees in the new discom, Jagadish Reddy questioned how they could handle 29 lakh farmers (consumers).
“There will be one lineman for 15 villages as per their deputation. How will that person handle a complaint if farmers from all 15 villages call? That lineman would only have to do puja in a nearby temple,” Reddy quipped.
Pointing out that the existing discoms were already in losses amounting to tens of thousands of crores, Reddy questioned how the new Rythu Discom could seek loans from the financial institutions, while being overburdened with debt, and how the loans could be granted.
Also revealing that the discoms function with the cross subsidy, by recovering the dues from commercial, household and other connections, to make up for the money being pumped into the free electricity schemes, he said the recovery in such transactions has been 99.9 percent.
“Then what is the need for establishment of a new discom? The state government’s move will only result in establishment of a new CMD office and to bear the cost of the new meters that will be fitted on agricultural borewell motors,” he alleged.
Former Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy also spoke extensively on the subject, and raised pointed questions.
“In the villages we see that farmers will have a house inside their agricultural land. If an electricity issue comes inside that house, should the farmer call the Rythu discom or the other discoms for the resolution of that complaint,” he sought to know.
Violation of Act, multiplicity, duplicity: former BRS minister
He also pointed out that as per the Electricity Act, farmers were free to apply for an electricity connection from the discom of their choice, and they couldn’t reject that application.
“Multiplicity and duplicity of discharging the duties will be a result of this move. Any discom can’t deny a farmer who seeks a connection,” he argued.
Not in AC room, conduct hearings in all districts: Kavitha
Former BRS MLC, who is the founder of Telangana Rakshana Sena (TRS), Kalvakuntla Kavitha also participated in the public hearing.
She urged the commission to hold similar meetings in all the districts, and not to confine themselves to an air-conditioned room meeting in Hyderabad.
Even she raised similar concerns of the BRS’ contingent.
The representatives of the Congress spoke in support of the move.
Telangana Farmers’ Welfare Commission Chairperson Kodanda Reddy spoke briefly on the subject, and requested the ERC to grant license for the Rythu Discom.
3 hours of uninterrupted power enough: Kodanda Reddy
On the 24-hour free power for agriculture, he said that as a farmer he was contented with uninterrupted power supply for just 3 hours in a day, and not 24 hours a day.
He also reminded that in the ERC public hearings during the ten-year rule of BRS, police had even tried to detain the opposition parties, and the commission was not even in a state to conduct its meetings at least once in a year.
He found fault with Kavitha’s comments on public hearing being held in an AC room.
Police tried to arrest us when we came to attend ERC meeting
Kodanda Reddy also reminded that it was because of the Congress’ persistent efforts that the 29 lakh farmers’ data had come out, who were utilising free electricity, after a nominal Rs 30 per electricity connection per month was levied on the farmers based on certain recommendations in the past.
“Today this hearing is being live telecast. People from across the state can witness it live. Where does the question of the points being deliberated upon not going across to the farmers arise,” he wondered.
Decisions taken within 4 walls, to public hearings: Congress MP
His opinion was also echoed by Bhongir MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, who reminded Kavitha that social media’s reach has spread so far, that people will witness their leaders speaking live presently.
“Decisions used to be taken during the BRS government within the four walls. Kavitha was a witness to that. Today she may be representing some other party, but she is with BRS. Today we are seeing so many opposition party representatives expressing their opinions on the subject because of the people’s government under the Congress government. Did that happen during BRS government,” he sought to know.
Kiran Kumar said that TGSPDCL had fallen from 9th to 52nd rank in the overall ratings of discoms in the country between 2014 and 2024, and TGNPDCL has fallen from 16th to 42nd position.
“In 2014 the outstanding dues to these discoms were Rs 1,595 crore. Today it has grown to Rs 31,698 crore,” he pointed out.
On the allegation being leveled by Jagadish Reddy against the state government on treating farmers like thieves, he responded questioning, “When the farmers are not even being required to pay their electricity bills under the free electricity scheme, where does the question of stealing by them arise.”
Kiran Kumar Reddy also recalled that it was on January 4, 2017, when the then Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government- now Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), had agreed to install smart meters under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) of the Centre.
He claimed that the then BRS government had also finalised the processes for installing smart meters at all agricultural transformers, in line with the BJP-led Centre’s policy.
He said the decision to form a new Discom was necessitated because of the need to free the two existing discoms from debt, as their credibility was lost because of the debt they carrried.
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