Hyderabad: The Justice Narasimha Reddy-led commission setup to investigate irregularities in the power purchase agreements made by the Telangana government under the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) rule has issued a notice to former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) to provide a detailed response regarding his involvement in the agreements.
The commission has asked for a response by June 15.
KCR, in response, has requested an extension, seeking additional time until July 30 to provide the necessary clarifications.
The commission is investigating alleged irregularities in the PPAs made during the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government, specifically focusing on agreements related to the Yadadri and Damarcherla power plants, as well as a proposed 1,000 MW power purchase from Chhattisgarh.
Former officials, including the former chairman and managing director of Telangana Genco and Transco, D Prabhakar Rao, and former special chief secretary Suresh Chanda, have already appeared before the commission. Suresh Chanda was involved in the controversial proposal to secure power from Chhattisgarh during his tenure in the energy department.
The Justice Narasimha Reddy commission has also issued a warning that if the former chief minister’s response to the investigation into potential irregularities in the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with the Chhattisgarh government and the Bhadradri and Yadadri power projects is unsatisfactory, a personal appearance process will be initiated.
The commission is currently investigating these PPAs and will soon issue notices to other officials involved in these decisions as part of the ongoing investigation.
The commission was announced on April 7, 2024, and was tasked with submitting its report within 100 days.
Justice Narasimha Reddy had emphasized that the investigation will proceed impartially, regardless of political affiliations, and assured that the report will be submitted within the stipulated timeframe. He highlighted the significance of soliciting public opinion on the matter.
