Hyderabad: The BRS had demanded the Congress govt to withdraw its proposal to set up a separate Rythu power distribution company limited (TGRPDCL) for farmers. The party alleged that the proposal is a deliberate attempt to eventually dismantle the 24×7 free power supply currently being provided to farmers in Telangana, a scheme unmatched anywhere else in the country.Representing the party before the Telangana Electricity Regulatory Commission (TGERC) during the public hearing on the proposal on Friday, former ministers G Jagadish Reddy and Singireddy Niranjan Reddy strongly opposed the move and submitted detailed objections.The BRS leaders argued that the proposed “Rythu Power Distribution Company” is not intended to serve farmers’ interests. Instead, they alleged that it is part of a larger strategy to gradually withdraw power subsidies to the agricultural sector and pave the way for privatisation of electricity distribution. They warned that the proposed farmers’ discom could ultimately become a mechanism that pushes farmers into uncertainty and hardship rather than supporting them.Jagadish Reddy recalled that during the BRS govt, under the leadership of KCR, Telangana successfully ensured uninterrupted, high-quality 24-hour power supply not only to farmers but also to domestic, commercial and industrial consumers. He alleged that the real objective behind the proposed third discom TGRPDCL was to separate revenue-generating consumers from subsidised agricultural connections, thereby isolating the agricultural sector and creating conditions for future privatisation. Such a move, he said, would fragment the power distribution system and adversely affect farmers.Jagadish Reddy further pointed out that any structural reform in the power sector requires the approval of the TGERC. He criticised the govt for announcing a launch date for the new discom even before obtaining the regulator’s approval, describing it as an affront to the authority and independence of the ERC.Govt conspiring against ryots: KavithaTelangana Rakshana Sena (TRS) president Kalvakuntla Kavitha, which presented its objection at the public hearing, said the state govt was conspiring against the farmers in the name of the third discom.She also recalled when the TDP was in power, there were massive protests by farmers in 1999 and advised the govt not to repeat the past incidents. While asking the TGERC to reject the proposal of the setting up TGRPDCL, she demanded the govt to move forward on the proposal after discussing the issue in the state assembly. The ex-MP also questioned why the govt had created a discom with ₹25,000 crore losses while launching it. She also demanded the govt to hold public hearings in all the 33 districts of Telangana.
