Hyderabad, Dec.24 (RAHNUMA): Former minister and BRS MLA T. Harish Rao has accused the State government of providing less than 12 hours of electricity for agricultural use while misleadingly asserting that a 24-hour power supply is being offered.
Harish Rao, along with MLA Sunitha Laxma Reddy, conducted a surprise inspection of the Reddypally power substation in Narsapur on Wednesday.
The visit was prompted by urgent pleas from farmers of Reddypally and Maddur villages, who intercepted the leaders while they were en route to a party meeting, complaining about acute power shortages during the crucial nursery and transplanting season.
Upon inspecting the official logbooks at the substation, Harish Rao revealed glaring discrepancies between the government’s tall claims and the ground reality.
“Chief Minister Revanth Reddy touted himself as the ‘brand ambassador’ and ‘champion’ of 24-hour power before the elections. However, the substation records today prove that farmers are receiving a measly 12 to 13 hours of electricity,” he stated.
Harish Rao pointed out specific entries where power was cut at 5 PM and only restored at 3 AM, leaving farmers in the lurch during peak agricultural hours.
Launching a scathing attack on the administration, Harish Rao remarked that everything in the Revanth Reddy government is “half-baked.” From the 24-hour power promise to Rythu Bandhu, loan waivers, and bonuses everything has been reduced to half-measures.
“The real brand ambassador for 24-hour quality power is KCR. Even without a manifesto promise, the BRS government ensured uninterrupted, high-quality power to every farmer. Today, the Congress has dragged the state back to the dark days when farmers had to struggle for both electricity and fertilizers,” he said.
Directing his comments at Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka, Harish Rao urged him to move beyond “grand rhetoric” and face the facts.
He challenged the government to a face-to-face debate on the floor of the Assembly regarding the state’s power supply situation instead of merely “slinging mud” at the opposition.
Furthermore, Harish Rao accused the Chief Minister of being “fearful of the car symbol,” alleging that the government is stalling cooperative elections because it knows it has betrayed the farming community. “If you have any integrity, stop avoiding elections and start providing the 24-hour power you promised,” he dared the Chief Minister.
Concluding the inspection, the BRS leader issued a stern warning to the administration against penalising local substation staff for the information revealed during the visit.
“Do not take action against these officials just because we came to inspect the truth. If the government is honest, it should focus on fixing the supply rather than targeting employees,” he emphasised, demanding immediate restoration of 24-hour free power to the agricultural sector.
