Harish Rao Questions Singareni Deal to Supply 800 MW Power to Rajasthan

BRS MLA and former minister T. Harish Rao has urged Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to immediately cancel the joint venture agreement to allocate 800 MW of power generated at the Singareni Thermal Power Plant in Jaipur, Mancherial district, to Rajasthan. In an open letter to the Chief Minister, Harish Rao questioned the decision to divert Telangana’s power to another State when farmers in Telangana were facing alleged difficulties with electricity supply.

Harish Rao said the coal used by the Singareni thermal plant comes from Singareni mines, while the water required for power generation is sourced from the Godavari. Since the land, coal and water involved in the project were Telangana’s resources, he questioned the rationale behind allocating the additional 800 MW generated at Jaipur to Rajasthan.

He said Singareni had recently entered into an agreement with the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL) under which 800 MW from the proposed thermal expansion would be supplied to Rajasthan. The arrangement also includes plans for a 1,500 MW solar power project in Rajasthan, with the combined investment estimated at around Rs 22,000 crore. Harish Rao questioned why Singareni’s investments, which he described as public assets of Telangana, should be used for projects benefiting another State.

Harish Rao alleged that the government’s claim of providing 24-hour power to agriculture was not matching the situation on the ground. He said farmers were struggling with power cuts and power holidays and alleged that the government was citing factors such as El Niño to explain the disruption.

He also raised concerns over coal supplies to thermal plants. According to him, generation at the Yadadri Ultra Mega Thermal Power Plant had declined, while the use of lower-quality coal than the grades required by the plant was affecting boiler operations. He further alleged that coal shortages had halted generation at the 800 MW Kothagudem and 540 MW Bhadradri plants.

Questioning the lack of adequate coal reserves at thermal stations, Harish Rao said the government should explain why shortages were occurring despite claims of sufficient coal availability in Telangana.

Harish Rao recalled the bifurcation assurance of 4,000 MW through NTPC and alleged that the State government had declined 1,600 MW that NTPC was ready to supply. He demanded immediate action to secure the power.

He also sought a PPA with Telangana discoms to ensure that the entire 800 MW generated at Jaipur is consumed within the State. He demanded uninterrupted coal supplies to thermal plants and warned that the BRS would intensify its agitation if the government failed to address the issues.