Panel probing ‘Irregularities’ in Power Sector sends notice to KCR

The panel chief said “25 officials and non-officials” had been identified.

Hyderabad:

The inquiry committee probing alleged irregularities in the power sector during the previous term of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government has issued notices to former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and several others and sought their responses as part of the ongoing inquiry.

The commission’s head, retired Justice L. Narasimha Reddy, told reporters on Tuesday that the panel had identified “25 officials and non-officials” who took decisions on the issues under investigation.

Rao sought time till July-end to submit his reply, but the commission asked him to submit it by June 15 as he had a limited time period, he added.

Talking to reporters on March 12 this year after a cabinet meeting, state information minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said retired judge L Narasimha Reddy would head the probe into alleged irregularities in connection with the Bhadradri and Yadadri power plants.

The investigation will also look into power purchases relating to the Chhattisgarh government during the previous BRS regime. He added that the duration of this investigation will also be 100 days.

The Commission is investigating whether the then government allegedly chose the negotiated path without conducting a tender procedure.

Referring to the panel’s contacts with former senior officials of the power companies, Justice Narasimha Reddy said the essence of these discussions was that the decisions were taken by the then state government and the power companies did not take decisions independently.

Talking about various aspects of the issue of power purchase from Chhattisgarh, he pointed out that the state allegedly had to bear huge costs, although the details were yet to be finalized.

Referring to the Bhadradri power plant, he said that while supercritical technology was widely used, the plant used subcritical technology. Subcritical technology has caused not only environmental pollution but also financial burden.

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