Shankar Rao defends CM on power cuts

In a surprise U-turn, Handlooms and Textiles Minister Dr P Shankar Rao on Tuesday defended the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy over the issue of power cuts for the agricultural sector.

Talking to reporters, Dr Shankar Rao said that it was wrong to blame the Chief Minister for the power cuts on farmers. He said that the State Government was forced to cut power due to fall in power generation because of acute shortage of coal and gas due to on-going general strike. Praising the Chief Minister, he said that Kiran Kumar Reddy was trying to manage the crisis by buying power from outside the State.

The minister said that the present Telangana agitation was responsible for the power crisis and the Chief Minister should not be held responsible for the same. He also condemned the highway blockades stating that it has affected people from all the regions, especially those belonging to Telangana. He demanded that the general strike be withdrawn immediately.

However, in yet another political move that could embarrass the ruling party, Dr Shankar Rao sought the details of assets declared by all members of the Legislative Assembly. He sought the information from the Assembly Secretary Raja Sadaram under the Right To Information Act. He said once he gets the entire information under the RTI, he would get it cross-checked from independent sources. The final outcome would then be used in intensifying the battle against corruption, he said.

Dr Shankar Rao also condemned the attack by YSR Congress party activists on a meeting of Pradesh Congress Party president Botsa Satyanarayana Rao in Anantapur on Monday. He said the attack was unconstitutional and the State-unit president of 125-year-old party deserves more respect.