BRS Leader Demands Withdrawal of Plan to Establish Separate Rythu Discom

HYDERABAD: Alleging that the government had failed to consider the views of all the stakeholders before taking a decision on establishing a separate Rythu Discom, BRS leader T Harish Rao on Tuesday demanded immediate withdrawal of the plan. The former minister said that government ignored objections raised by the BRS, other political parties, electricity employees’ unions, power sector experts, social activists and farmers. “The government should have addressed their concerns before issuing the order forming the third Discom,” he said. Harish also questioned the very purpose of creating a new Discom when the government was already struggling to provide an uninterrupted power supply to farmers, households and industries. “Farmers are already suffering because of power cuts and burnt transformers. Instead of solving these problems, the government is creating another organisation. What benefits will farmers receive from this decision?” he asked. The Siddipet MLA expressed concern that the new Discom could become a tool for the government to weaken its commitment to free electricity for farmers. He demanded a clear, written assurance that 24-hour free power would continue without any reduction in supply. Stating that the third Discom will have around 30 lakh connections, Harish Rao asked how such a large network could be managed with just around 2,000 employees. Harish sought to know how the government plans to maintain round-the-clock electricity supply if the new Discom depends heavily on solar power. He demanded immediate withdrawal of GO 17, unless it can clearly explain the need for the new Discom. He demanded that the government should give a written assurance that free electricity would continue for 24 hours without cuts.