Probe sought into Genco coal purchases

Hyderabad, January 29:
Demanding a judicial inquiry into the coal purchases by GENCO at inflated
prices, YSR Congress has said that it will picket the State Electricity Regulatory
Commission (APERC) office, if it gives nod to the proposal to hike power
charges.

“The Government which has
imposed surcharges should also recover the additional amount Genco has paid to
merchant power plants and order an inquiry into the coal purchases to probe the
kickbacks,” party spokesperson Janak Prasad told reporters here on Tuesday.
 

With so many shortcomings on
its part, the State Government has been collecting surcharge and arrears
burdening the customers to a tune of Rs 32, 000 crores. Instead, it should
recover the additional cost it has paid to merchant power plants like GMR and
Lanco. These units sold power at Rs 5.20 per unit without any agreement.

The second anomaly is the
purchase of coal at inflated rates. We demand a judicial inquiry into the
entire purchases made by Genco as there are many irregularities and kickbacks
in the dealings.

With these major factors
having a direct effect on the power situation, the Government has been
hoodwinking them and passing on the burden to cuStomers, which is bad
governance.

The state has also sent a
proposal to increase the power tariff to the APERC. Though it is an autonomous
body it has been functioning under the direct supervision of the State
Government. 

We will picket the APERC office,
if it gives nod for proposal to hike tariff from the next financial year, he
said.

The government has no concern
for the plight of people, as the Chief Minister is not elected but nominated
and has been mercilessly imposing taxes and increasing prices and Congress
Party is drifting away from the people, he said.

Leader of Opposition N
Chandrababu Naidu has been trading the TDP’s strength in the Assembly for his
personal advantage to get away with corruption charges and escape court trial.
It can be vouched by his silence on the people’s issues.

The Centre has no value for
the self respect of the people of the State and has placed the state in a
peculiar position on Telangana issue, he said adding that the government has no
accountability.

Cooperative polls are being
held in an anarchic way as the Government is deliberately conducting the polls
in a manner that is anything but democratic.