*Power tariff burden of Rs 20,000 crore in two years*

Tadepalli, April 24: Former MLA and YSRCP SC Cell State President TJR Sudhakar Babu said that the coalition government led by N. Chandrababu Naidu had imposed a power tariff burden of around Rs 20,000 crore on people within two years. He stated that the government was preparing to impose an additional burden of Rs 15,651 crore from April 2026.
Speaking to the media at the party central office in Tadepalle, he said that Chandrababu Naidu had promised during elections that power charges would not be increased, but within four months of coming to power, the government imposed thousands of crores in additional burden. He added that the government collected Rs 2,787 crore by increasing 40 paise per unit and later returned it under regulatory pressure, while claiming it as a reduction in charges.
He challenged the Chief Minister to provide evidence for allegations that the previous government led by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had imposed a burden of Rs 1.12 lakh crore. He said such claims were baseless and meant to shift blame.
Sudhakar Babu alleged that power purchase agreements during 2014–19 were costly and benefited private interests, while reforms under YS Jagan reduced costs. He further claimed that the present government was misleading people and planning fresh tariff hikes while blaming past policies.