The Congress government in Hyderabad is launching a probe into alleged irregularities in the Yadadri thermal power project. The project, which was initiated by the previous BRS government, has an estimated cost of Rs 30,000 crore. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has claimed that there was corruption in the project and that outdated technology was used, resulting in significant losses to the state exchequer.
The government has raised concerns about the delay in completing the project and the awarding of contracts without competitive bidding. A high-level official team is currently preparing a report on the project’s estimates, rates quoted by BHEL (the implementing agency), and negotiations between BHEL and the government. The reasons for the project’s delay will also be investigated.
According to the agreement, two units of the power project were supposed to be completed by October 2020, with three additional units to be completed by October 2021. However, BHEL has only completed works costing Rs 14,400 crore. The slow pace of work is attributed to delayed payments by the government and pending environmental clearance.
A delegation from BHEL met with Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to discuss the challenges faced in completing the project. The minister set a time-bound target for completion, instructing officials to finish two units by September 2024, another two by December 2024, and the fifth unit by May 2025.
BHEL’s Chairman and Managing Director explained to the minister that without government support, achieving these targets would be difficult due to the project cost escalation caused by delayed payments over the past seven years.
