Hyderabad: Former minister T Harish Rao alleged that farmers were getting only 12 hours of power supply and demanded 24×7 power supply for agriculture. The BRS leader conducted a surprise inspection of the Solepet electricity substation in Bommalaramaram mandal of Alair assembly constituency along with former Alair MLA Gongidi Sunitha on Friday. During the visit, he reviewed the substation logbook, interacted with electricity department staff and examined records relating to power supply being provided to farmers.Addressing the media after the inspection, Harish Rao alleged that the Congress govt had completely failed in ensuring uninterrupted electricity, drinking water and irrigation supply across Telangana.“During the BRS govt, farmers received uninterrupted 24-hour free electricity, every household had access to safe drinking water through Mission Bhagiratha and irrigation water was supplied without disruption. The substation operator informed me that farmers had earlier been receiving 14 to 15 hours of power supply, but fresh instructions from the govt limited agricultural power supply to only 12 hours a day,” he said. He further alleged that even during these 12 hours, electricity supply was frequently interrupted due to repeated tripping.Harish Rao said he had visited the constituency to console the family of a deceased BRS party worker, but local women complained that drinking water was being supplied only once every two days.He alleged that despite inheriting a fully functional Mission Bhagiratha network built by the previous BRS government, the Congress Government had failed to maintain the system. THe BRS leader said people in Sangareddy, Narayankhed, Andole, Zaheerabad, Kamareddy, Yadadri, Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar and several other districts were facing severe drinking water shortages, forcing women to once again carry water pots in search of drinking water.Harish Rao also questioned Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka’s recent statement that there were no power cuts in Telangana.“If there are no power cuts, why do the official records at Solepet substation show only 12 hours of agricultural supply?” he asked.He alleged that farmers across Telangana were being forced to stage protests outside electricity substations because of inadequate power supply during the crucial paddy sowing season.Harish Rao further alleged that due to the govt’s failure to maintain adequate coal stocks, two units with a combined capacity of 1,600 MW at the Yadadri Thermal Power Plant had remained shut for months. He added that another 270 MW unit at the Bhadradri Thermal Power Plant had also stopped generation. “There is no shortage of electricity. There is only a shortage of political will,” he said.ends/
