Andhra Pradesh: Jagan slams TDP for 'proposed' power tariff hike

Amaravati, Oct 27 (IANS) Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday strongly criticised the TDP-led coalition government for "planning to impose heavy power tariff hikes" on the people of the state while "ignoring the promises made to voters before the elections".

The YSR Congress Party President said that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu "misled people with assurances of stable or reduced power tariffs" but is now "burdening them with an additional cost of Rs 6,072.86 crores".

In a post on X, Jagan urged citizens to recognise the TDP's "broken promises and mismanagement" of the power sector, reminding them of the "increased tariffs and financial strain" the previous TDP government left behind. He called on the people to remain vigilant and informed about TDP's record.

He mentioned that the TDP government "repeatedly raised power charges from 2014 to 2019, directly impacting household expenses". He cited examples to underscore the steep rise in electricity costs during Naidu’s tenure. "A 76-unit bill that cost Rs 140.10 in 2015-16 surged to Rs 197.60 by 2018-19, marking a 41.04 per cent increase. Similar hikes were observed across other usage slabs. For instance, a 78-unit bill saw a 39.57 per cent increase, while an 80-unit bill rose by 38.21 per cent."

Jagan termed these changes as "evidence of TDP's disregard for public welfare and its failure to support affordable living for the people".

He also pointed out that the TDP's management of the power sector left a "lasting burden" on the state.

"Naidu's administration entered into costly power purchase agreements (PPAs) for approximately 8,000 MW, adding an additional annual burden of Rs 3,500 crores on power corporations for 25 years. These high-cost agreements led to significant financial strain on the sector, with cumulative losses ballooning from Rs. 6,625 crores in 2014 to a staggering Rs. 28,715 crores by 2019," Jagan said.

"Additionally, government-run power corporations saw their debt and liabilities soar from Rs 29,552 crores in 2014 to Rs 86,215 crores by 2019, placing long-term financial stress on the state’s energy infrastructure," he added.

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