Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy has alleged that the BRS government accepted Rs 1,000 crore from a Gujarati company called India Bulls and used sub-critical technology, harmful to the environment, for the construction of the Bhadradri thermal power plant.
Responding to former energy minister G Jagadish Reddy’s speech on the power projects and power purchases during the BRS regime, during the Assembly session on Monday, July 29, Revanth Reddy made a point-to-point rebuttal of the former’s claims.
Revanth claimed that the BRS government awarded the contract of the Bhadradri Plant to Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) on a nomination basis, after bailing out India Bulls in a deal.
Speaking on the Bhadradri thermal power plant, Revanth recalled that the UPA II government had introduced an Act in 2011, to prevent the use of sub-critical technology in thermal projects, as such projects yielded more fly ash, which is harmful to the environment.
“One Gujarati company named India Bulls had by then already given its purchase order to BHEL, and all the machinery was ready. When the former asked BHEL to return its money, the latter declined the request. Then they (India Bulls) looked for a ‘Bakra’ (target) to sell that sub-critical technology and found that ‘Bakra’ in the person speaking in the Opposition (former energy minister G Jagadish Reddy), who took Rs 1,000 crore from India Bulls and purchased that sub-critical machinery from BHEL, which in turn made the payment to India Bulls,” Revanth alleged.
Even by doing so, Revanth said that the Bhadradri power plant that was supposed to be built within two years as per the agreement, took seven years to complete, that too not utilising the environment-friendly super-critical technology.
He also said that the power plant was not built where it was supposed to be built, and therefore it was getting inundated with water during the rains and floods.
“The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had prosecuted 16 officials because of environmental permissions not obtained for the Bhadradri plant. They have all retired now, and are in dire condition,” he said.
He alleged that all the civil works contracts (balance of plant works) given to BHEL for the Bhadradri power project and Yadadri power project, were sub-contracted to the ‘binamis, relatives, near and dear ones’ of the then chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s family.
Pointing out that three companies including BHEL had participated in the tender called for a 2,400 MW power project by the Jharkhand government on July 18, 2017, using super-critical technology where BHEL had quoted 18 percent less on the costs, Revanth said that the same BHEL got the contracts in Telangana on a nominal basis for much higher costs, that too using sub-critical technology.
The cost escalation of power projects
“Because of the delay in project execution, the cost has gone up from Rs 7,290 crore to Rs 10,515 crore for the Bhadradri power project. The cost of the Yadadri power plant which was Rs 25,099 crore, was escalated to Rs 34,542 crore, and could go up to Rs 40,000 crore by the time it is completed,” Revanth noted.
Raventh supported his allegations by pointing out that it cost Rs 7.38 crore per megawatt to generate power at the 1,600 MW NTPC power plant at Ramagundam, which was built using super-critical technology. In comparison, the cost was Rs 9.73 crore per megawatt for the Bhadradri power project and Rs 8.64 crore per megawatt for the Yadadri power project.
Additionally, it was mentioned that the cost for the Yadadri project could further increase to 10 crore per MW by the time the project is completed.
Stop accusing Commission of Inquiry, depose before it: Revanth
“Because they (KCR and BRS) know that they have been caught, they are making allegations against the Commission of Inquiry on power projects and power purchases, which the Supreme Court too said, could continue its investigation under a new chairperson. The Supreme Court struck down KCR’s plea,” Revanth said, announcing that a new chairperson for the Commission would be appointed by Monday evening.
He asked KCR and Jagadish Reddy to depose before the Commission instead of making accusations against it, to prove their innocence.
He also urged D Sridhar Babu, Legislative affairs minister, to arrange for a two-day day and night debate on the ten-year rule of the BRS government on August 1 and 2.
“If you don’t stop telling lies, I won’t stop saying the truth,” Revanth said, advising Jagadish Reddy not to waste time in the house by making speeches to mislead the house.
