Ministers’ power bills run into thousands

This is the story of the fence eating the grass. While the government has unleashed a campaign asking the people to save power, it has overlooked the fact that the ministers and state-sponsored VIPs have been regularly rendering huge power bills running into thousands of rupees.

The power bills of ministers and these VIPs are paid by the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department every month.

While the TDP president Chandrababu Naidu’s power bill for the month of July for his Jubilee Hills residence ran up to Rs.84,352, Minister Galla Aruna has topped the list of ministers with a bill of Rs.62, 657  for her residence.

To cap it all, the monthly power bill of the CM’s camp office hovers around Rs.1 lakh. Ministers Mukesh Goud, DK Aruna and Danam Nagender are at the bottom of the list with a monthly power bill ranging around Rs.15,000 each.

Almost all ministers have violated the rule that they should not have more than two ACs in their official residences.

While the CM asked people to switch off their AC units, one senior minister has been using 12 ACs and another minister six.

The government turned down objections of the R & B officials in several cases that the ministers should not have more than two ACs in their official residences as per the rules fixed in 1950.

“The power bills of ministers are being paid with the people’s money. The government should fix a limit on the power bills of the ministers and ask them to pay the excess bills from their pockets,” said an R&B official.