Telangana Assembly adopts resolution against Centre's proposed new electricity amendment bill

Hyderabad

The Telangana Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution opposing the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 proposed by the Centre, claiming it would hurt interests of farmers and the poor and take away the powers of states.

Rao, who had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi a couple of months ago voicing concerns over the bill, said it was 'draconian' and against thefederal spirit. Speaking during a short discussion on achievements of power sector in Telangana, the proposed amendment bill and the recent fire mishap at Srisailam hydro power plant, the chief minister said the bill was likely to come up in Parliament for discussion (during the ongoing monsoon session).

Under the proposed bill, the load dispatch centre in the states and the power of states to appoint the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) would go to the Centre. Besides, the states would lose the power toprovide cross subsidy to electricity consumers, he said. If the proposed bill was implemented, anybody can purchase power anywhere in the country, he said.

Observing that a distributory sub-licence policy (where sub-licence is given to private players who can purchase power from anywhere and sell to anyone) was being proposed, he asked what would happen to generation and distribution corporations and their employees. Claiming that BSNL, LIC, railways and other public sector organisations were 'weakening', he said the power utilities would also meet the same fate.

Describing the bill as being draconian, he alleged that it hands over powers of the government to private individuals. Explaining that there were lakhs of agriculture pumpset motors in the state, he claimed the bill proposes installation of metres for them.

The purchase of metres itself would cost about Rs 700 crore, he said. The state government provides free power to the farm sector.

Recalling thathe had written to Modi against the proposed bill, he said the NDA government has, however, not relented. ...Clearly, state will not have any power. States control will come to zero. ERC appointment would go into their hands. Load dispatch centre would go to Delhi from Hyderabad.

This is the terrible pain that is going to happen, he said. The Union Minister (G Kishan Reddy) and BJP MPs from the state have to answer to the people whether they agreed to installation of metres for lakhs of agriculture connections, Rao said.

Rao said chief ministers of various states, who are opposing the bill, have spoken to him. He alleged that both Congress and BJP (when in power at the Centre) continuously violated the directive principles of the Constitution incorporated by B R Ambedkar and other leaders and centralisation of powers had been continuing whichever party was in power at the Centre.

It happened during their (Congress) regime Narendra Modi ji is totally centralising, he said. State Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader M Bhatti Vikramarka and others spoke.