Kakani slams CM over power tariffs

Former minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy has criticised the coalition government for reneging on its election promise by increasing power tariffs and preparing for another hike.
Addressing the media on Saturday, he blamed Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for the ongoing power sector crisis and accused him of imposing an additional burden of Rs 9,400 crore on the public.
Kakani stated that during 2014-19, Chandrababu purchased power at an average cost of Rs 5.10 per unit, which contributed to the financial strain on the sector. In contrast, he claimed that agreements made by former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy would save the State approximately Rs 1.10 lakh crore.
He further alleged that Chandrababu’s earlier tenure burdened the public with Rs 90,000 crore, leaving DISCOMs in debt to the tune of Rs 86,215 crore by 2019. He accused the “friendly media” of ignoring issues such as the failure to implement the Super Six initiative, hikes in power charges, and increased prices of essential commodities and liquor.
Kakani also pointed to a lack of coordination within the coalition, particularly in Rayalaseema, citing public disputes between leaders like Adinarayana Reddy and JC Prabhakar Reddy. He claimed these differences indicate poor governance and alleged that disputes over sharing benefits were causing rifts between ministers and MLAs in several districts.
He also expressed concern over the resurgence of issues such as the call money sex racket, attributing it to a lack of welfare schemes for the public.