Cong threatens stir over tariff hike

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Congress on Wednesday warned the state government of a widespread agitation if it implements the proposed power tariff hikes. Party vice-president and former power minister Md Shabbir Ali demanded that chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao keep his poll promise of no tariff hikes.
"In fact, he had promised that he would reduce the electricity rates before the elections," Ali said.If the state government is not in a position to reduce the rates, it should at least ensure that the tariffs are not hiked, he added. He dismissed the state government's contention that the two power distribution companies in the state would be in the red if the tariffs are not hiked.
Telangana had a surplus budget of Rs 7,581 crore at the time of its formation. The mishandling of state finances by the TRS government pushed the state into bankruptcy, Ali said and charged the government with placing the burden of its mismanagement on the people of the state.
He also took issue with the government for alleging that the current power crisis in Telangana was the doing of the previous Congress regime in united Andhra Pradesh. All the upcoming power projects in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were initiated during the Congress regime, he said. There has also been no progress on the issue of supply of 1,000MW of power from Chattisgarh to Telangana, he added.