No proposal to privatise Telangana power utilities: Dy CM Bhatti
Hyderabad, Oct 7 (TNT): Telangana Deputy Chief Minister and Power Minister Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday rejected allegations of privatisation of power utilities and blamed the previous government for delays in the Yadadri Thermal Power Plant due to inadequate coal supply arrangements.
Addressing the media at Praja Bhavan, Bhatti said the Congress government had no proposal to privatise DISCOMs, TRANSCO or GENCO and was committed to strengthening the public sector.
He said Telangana’s peak power demand had reached an all-time high of 19,892 MW despite the impact of El Niño, but the State was continuing uninterrupted power supply without imposing cuts.
He credited GENCO, TRANSCO and DISCOM employees and officials for meeting the increased demand.
Bhatti alleged that the previous government proceeded with the Yadadri plant without ensuring adequate coal allocation and supply linkages.
He said a 2016 agreement provided for Singareni to supply seven million tonnes of coal annually, while another agreement envisaged importing the remaining seven million tonnes through MSTC, but the arrangements were not implemented. Pasted markdown
He said Singareni’s G-9 coal production capacity was only 1.71 million tonnes in 2022-23 against the 14 million tonnes required annually for Yadadri, making the proposed supply commitment impractical. Pasted markdown
The Deputy Chief Minister also alleged that the previous government failed to secure new coal blocks for Singareni. He said 14 coal blocks were closed between 2014 and 2024, resulting in a reduction of around 15 million tonnes in coal production, while Singareni’s production and dispatch increased from 52.66 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 62.07 million tonnes in 2025-26.
Bhatti said the State government was now pursuing a separate coal allocation for Yadadri and had written to Coal India, the concerned Union government committee and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy in this regard. Pasted markdown
He said power generated from Yadadri costs Rs 6.66 per unit, compared with Rs 4.17 per unit from Kakatiya Thermal Power Plant and around Rs 4.60 to Rs 5.10 per unit from Bhadradri Thermal Power Plant, adding that the higher cost would ultimately burden consumers.
On the delay in commissioning the Yadadri plant, Bhatti alleged that changes in the proposed coal mix and subsequent proceedings before the National Green Tribunal contributed to the delay.
He said the Congress government conducted a fresh public hearing in February 2024, resolved the pending issues and accelerated commissioning of the units. Pasted markdown
Bhatti said the government would place documentary evidence before the public every week on decisions taken by the previous government relating to the power sector and Yadadri project.
TNT TS
