Harish Rao Alleges Reduced Power Supply After Surprise Inspection of Solepet Substation

Former Telangana minister Harish Rao conducted a surprise inspection of the Solepet electricity substation in Bommalaramaram mandal of Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district on Friday, alleging that the Congress government has failed to ensure reliable electricity, irrigation, drinking water, and farmer welfare across the state.

Accompanied by former Aler MLA Gongidi Sunitha, Harish Rao visited the substation, interacted with officials, and examined the power supply logbook to verify the number of hours electricity was being supplied to farmers. He said he sought details directly from the staff to assess the ground situation.

Addressing the media after the inspection, Harish Rao alleged that the Congress government had failed to maintain the standards set during the BRS government led by K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR). He claimed that under the previous administration, farmers received 24-hour free electricity, while households benefited from uninterrupted drinking water through Mission Bhagiratha and sufficient irrigation facilities. He alleged that the current government had failed to properly maintain the drinking water network, forcing residents in several districts to face severe shortages and leaving women to once again fetch water in pots.

Quoting the substation operator, Harish Rao claimed that farmers had earlier been receiving 14 to 15 hours of electricity, but that supply had been reduced to 12 hours from this week following government instructions. He further alleged that even during those 12 hours, repeated tripping was disrupting supply, affecting agricultural operations. Questioning the government's claims of uninterrupted power, he asked why farmers were not being provided quality 24-hour electricity.

The former minister also criticised Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, saying that while the government insisted there were no power cuts, the substation records reflected only 12 hours of supply. He demanded an explanation for the shutdown of two 800 MW units (1,600 MW total) at the Yadadri Thermal Power Plant and a 270 MW unit at the Bhadradri Thermal Power Plant, alleging that a combined 1,870 MW of power generation had been taken offline.

Harish Rao further accused the government of neglecting the Rythu Bima insurance scheme. Citing Agriculture Department officials, he claimed that 10 farmer insurance claims were pending in Bommalaramaram mandal, while nearly 4,000 farmers' families across Telangana had reportedly not received insurance benefits for the past five months.

He urged the government to immediately review LIC premium payments, release the pending ₹5 lakh insurance compensation to the families of deceased farmers, restore power generation at the Yadadri and Bhadradri thermal plants, ensure 24-hour quality power supply to farmers, and provide uninterrupted drinking water to households across Telangana.