Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA P Kaushik Reddy alleged that Telangana transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar indulged in a scam worth Rs 100 crores in the transport of fly ash at the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) super thermal power station in Ramagundam.
“Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has indulged in a massive corruption scam with respect to the transport of fly ash at NTPC Ramagundam. They are transporting 72 tonnes of ash in a single lorry instead of 32 tonnes and are not mentioning the weight of the load in the Waybills, thereby, making Rs 50 lakh per day on the extra load. Ponnam Prabhakar’s elder brother’s son Anoop is collecting this money,” Kaushik Reddy alleged, in a press conference held at Telangana Bhavan on Tuesday, June 11.
Reddy further alleged that he himself caught 13 lorries which were being transported beyond capacity. “The transport department only seized 2 lorries out of them. Officials are succumbing to the pressure mounted by the transport minister. They should fulfil their duties with responsibility,” he remarked.
The Huzurabad MLA said that the lorries are being moved via Husnabad to avoid him and the BRS workers. “But BRS workers won’t let this go,” he warned.
Reddy further stated that road accidents are taking place due to the lorries carrying fly ash. “An engineering student named Akhil lost his life due to a fly ash lorry. I got to know about the issue after his death. His death will curse Ponnam,” he remarked, further questioning why NTPC officials are silent on the subject.
“Why is NTPC hiding details of ash transport? We will raise the attitude of NTPC officials in Delhi. BRS party MLAs will visit NTPC Ramagundam if the business of fly ash doesn’t come to an end,” he warned.
Fly ash is a fine grey powder produced as a byproduct in coal-fired power stations. It is composed mostly of spherical, glassy particles that are generated during the combustion process.
The main chemical components present in fly ash are silicon dioxide, aluminium oxide, ferric oxide, and calcium oxide. Fly ash has pozzolanic properties, meaning it reacts with lime to form cementitious compounds, making it a supplementary cementitious material suitable for various applications, including concrete, dams, flowable fillings, mines, and landfills.
NTPC Ramagundam is a 2,600 megawatt (MW) super thermal power station and is the largest power station in South India and the first ISO 14001 certified “Super Thermal Power Station” in the country.
