Telangana Assembly Sees Resignation Challenges Amidst Debate on 24×7 Power Supply
Tensions flared in the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Saturday as members of the ruling Congress party and opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) engaged in a heated exchange over the issue of 24×7 power supply.
Hyderabad: Tensions flared in the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Saturday as members of the ruling Congress party and opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) engaged in a heated exchange over the issue of 24×7 power supply. Both sides threw resignation challenges at each other. The debate intensified during a short discussion on the Rythu Bharosa (farmer welfare) scheme.
The argument began when Congress Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) claimed that the previous Congress government had ensured sufficient water supply and a 24-hour free power supply to farmers. He emphasized the government’s commitment to providing uninterrupted power to the agriculture sector.
However, Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy countered KTR’s claims by alleging that the Congress government had only provided electricity for 11 to 14 hours daily. He further accused the government of frequent interruptions in the power supply, stating that it was disrupted five to six times daily. Reddy claimed he had personally verified the logs at substations to confirm the disruptions.
In a dramatic turn, Venkat Reddy challenged KTR to visit Nalgonda district after the House was adjourned to verify the power situation on the ground. “Let us visit Nalgonda and check with farmers. If I am proven wrong, I will tender my resignation in Speaker format,” he declared.
The debate took a personal turn when KTR responded by referencing a White Paper submitted by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, which indicated that the Congress government had, on average, supplied 19.2 hours of free power to farmers. KTR, defending the government’s track record, challenged the BRS to check the logbooks at substations in the Nalgonda district alone. “If it is proven that 24-hour free power supply is being extended to farmers, all Congress MLAs will tender their resignations,” he said.
In response, BRS MLAs cheered Venkat Reddy’s challenge, continuing to criticize the Congress government’s handling of the power supply issue. The debate also extended to the River Musi rejuvenation project, which Congress vowed to take up despite opposition from both BRS and BJP members.
Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, another BRS leader, also joined the resignation challenge, claiming that the Congress government had failed to complete the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation scheme. “If I am proved wrong, I will submit my resignation,” Krishna Rao announced.
KTR quickly responded, defending the government’s record on irrigation projects, including completing key projects like Kalwakurthy, Bheema, and Nettampadu, which he claimed had transformed barren lands into fertile areas and helped reduce migration from Palamuru.
The exchange of resignation challenges and accusations reflected the growing tensions between the ruling Congress and the opposition BRS. Both parties attempted to prove their respective claims regarding the power supply to farmers and the completion of irrigation projects. While no resignations were tendered, the debate highlighted the deep divisions between the two parties over governance issues in the state.
