Telangana HC dismisses KCR’s complaint against inquiry commission to probe ‘irregularities’ in power sector

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday rejected former Prime Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s plea seeking to declare as illegal the appointment of a commission of inquiry to probe alleged irregularities in the power sector during the previous BRS rule.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Alak Aradhe and Anil Kumar Jukanti dismissed the petition filed by Rao.

In his petition, the former chief minister sought a declaration that the Telangana government’s ordinances setting up a commission of inquiry to conduct an inquiry into the correctness and fairness of the decisions taken by the then government regarding purchase of power from Chhattisgarh by the Telangana electricity distribution companies and construction of the Bhadradri Thermal Power Plant at Manuguru and the Yadadri Thermal Power Plant at Damarcherla by TS GENCO should be declared illegal.

Rao, also known as KCR, demanded that Justice (retd) L. Narasimha Reddy remain as chairman of the commission to conduct an inquiry, the conduct of which was declared illegal.

He also emphasized that issuing him a letter ordering him to appear before the commission to present evidence against witnesses was arbitrary.

In response to a letter directing him to appear before the commission and a media interaction with Justice Narasimha Reddy, Rao on June 15 accused the commission chairman of not acting honestly.

In a 12-page open letter, Rao said retired judge L. Narasimha Reddy, who heads the commission, should step down.

In a letter to Justice Reddy, KCR had detailed the measures taken by his previous regime to address the alleged crisis in the power sector that existed in Telangana before June 2014, when his government assumed office with the formation of the new state.

Claiming that his government had succeeded in ensuring round-the-clock power supply to all sectors in the state, Rao accused the current Congress government of ordering the commission of inquiry “with clear political motives and a desire to discredit the previous government”.