Hyderabad, Oct. 7: Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday criticised BRS leader T. Harish Rao over the Yadadri Thermal Power Plant and its coal supply issues.
Bhatti said the state’s peak power demand had reached 19,892 MW amid the impact of El Nino. He said the government was supplying electricity without cuts despite the higher demand.
He accused opposition leaders of spreading misinformation about the state’s power sector. Bhatti also rejected claims that GENCO and TRANSCO would be privatised.
Bhatti Questions Yadadri Coal Linkage
Bhatti questioned the previous BRS government’s decision to construct Yadadri without ensuring adequate availability of the required G9 grade coal.
Officials had earlier informed the state government that Yadadri requires G9 coal, while Singareni does not currently have sufficient blocks to produce it. The government has decided to explore coal supplies from Mahanadi Coalfields and Coal India.
Bhatti said Yadadri requires around 14 million tonnes of coal annually. He claimed agreements were made to source part of the requirement from Singareni and import the remaining quantity.
He alleged that the previous government later committed to sourcing the entire requirement from Singareni despite concerns over G9 coal availability.
Bhatti said the coal transportation arrangements could impose an additional burden of around Rs 40,000 crore on the state. This figure has also been cited in recent government reviews of the plant’s coal supply arrangements.
The Deputy Chief Minister challenged Harish Rao to explain how the plant was expected to operate with the required coal supply. He also alleged that decisions taken during the previous government contributed to the present difficulties.
Bhatti said the current government had taken steps to secure alternative coal supplies and improve generation. He also claimed that three units had resumed operations after coal was supplied.
The political dispute comes as the state government works to restore full capacity at Yadadri. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had directed officials to ensure full scale generation at the plant before Dasara.
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