Shabbir Ali challenges KTR for an open debate on power crisis

Deputy CLP leader in Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Tuesday challenged Panchayat Raj Minister K Tarakarama Rao for an open debate on the power crisis in Telangana State.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan here, Shabbir Ali strongly criticised KTR's statement wherein he blamed the previous Congress regime for the existing power crisis in the State. Asking KTR to get himself acquainted with the real statistics, he said it was the Congress Government which started several power projects in the State during its rule from 2004 to 2014. He also released a brochure giving factsheet of power projects launched during the Congress regime and said he was sending a copy of same brochure to KTR. He said if the minister was not ready for an open debate, then he should convene a meeting with the energy department officials in his chambers to ascertain the facts being furnished by him.

Shabbir Ali said that the power projects with installed capacity of 4,365.3 MW were started during the Congress rule from 2004 to 2014. The present production of 2144 MW was purely due to the initiatives taken by the Congress party. Further, the projects of 8418.1 MW which are under construction too were started during Congress regime. "KTR is either ignorant of the facts or is deliberately overlooking the reality only to cover up the failures of TRS Government in handling power crisis. Despite being a US-educated person, KTR is still behaving like an ignorant activist by trying to shift the blame on Congress party," he said.

The former energy minister said KTR has no moral right to criticise the Congress party for the present crisis. The mishandling of power crisis aggravated the agrarian crisis in the State forcing several farmers to committed suicide. Instead of consoling the farmers and taking steps to prevent them from committing suicide, the TRS Government is indulging in cheap politics. He asked Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to explain the status of his promises of bringing power from Chattisgarh or making other alternate arrangements.

Shabbir Ali also accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu of playing politics around 800 MW Krishnapatnam power plant by not announcing its COD. Although the Unit-I of the plant has started generating 250 MW of power in June itself, Naidu was not declaring its COD which deprived the Telangana State of its share of power as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. He said when KCR and Naidu can hug each other in Alai Balai programme, why can't both the Chief Ministers sit and resolve the dispute in the interest of farmers. "KCR has sufficient time to celebrate the festivals and watch dance and 'dhoom dham' programmes, but he is too busy to review the power crisis or visit Delhi to pressurise the Central Government seeking its intervention in resolving the power crisis," he alleged.

The Congress leader also accused KCR and KTR of using unparliamentary language against the Congress leaders. Referring to KTR's reported statement of asking Congress leaders to apologise by rubbing their nose on the ground, he reminded that KCR had offered to wash AICC President Sonia Gandhi's feet if she gives Telangana. Further, he offered to cut his neck if he does not give CM's post to a Dalit. He said KTR should explain as to why his father had not honoured his words.

Reacting to KCR's reference to Congress leaders as "dogs", he said that "dogs" symbolises faith, friendship and trust and they would stand as "dogs" to protect the interest of farmers of Telangana. He asked KCR to explain his "breed" if Congress leaders were "dogs".