Hyderabad: A heated argument erupted in the Telangana Assembly between Roads & Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and BRS MLA K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) over the issue of 24-hour free power supply to farmers. Venkat Reddy accused the BRS government of failing to provide round-the-clock electricity, while KTR called for an extension of the Assembly session by at least 10 days to allow for detailed debates on various issues.
During a discussion on the Rythu Bharosa welfare scheme, Venkat Reddy interrupted KTR, challenging his claims of 24-hour power supply. He recounted visiting a sub-station in Nalgonda district, where he found that farmers were receiving only 10-11 hours of electricity, according to the logbooks. The Minister demanded that KTR retract his “misleading statements,” asserting that the BRS government never fulfilled its promise of uninterrupted power for farmers.
In response, KTR, along with former Minister T. Harish Rao and other BRS MLAs, objected strongly to Venkat Reddy’s allegations. Amid the uproar, Venkat Reddy further accused the BRS government of deceiving the people of Telangana and alleged corruption in the Mission Bhagiratha water supply project, claiming a scam worth Rs. 50,000 crore. This visibly irked Harish Rao, who stated that the project’s expenses were only Rs. 28,000 crore and demanded that Venkat Reddy’s remarks be expunged from the Assembly records.
The heated discussion prompted the Agriculture Minister to intervene in an attempt to restore order and ensure that the debate on Rythu Bharosa continued. Meanwhile, Harish Rao defended the BRS government, countering Venkat Reddy’s claims of neglecting Nalgonda district. He highlighted the development of Nalgonda town and the irrigation of large tracts of land, which boosted Telangana’s paddy production to the top spot in the country.
KTR further requested the Speaker to extend the Assembly session to allow for in-depth debates on issues such as irrigation, power supply, and Nalgonda’s development. The exchange ended with both Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and KTR challenging each other to substantiate their claims, even staking their political careers on the matter.
