Andhra FM targets TDP over 'false propaganda' on power tariff

Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath on Friday criticised the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for allegedly carrying out 'false propaganda' against the state government.

Speaking to media persons, he said: "The state has shifted to the dynamic mode of billing from the static mode. There is no truth in the allegations of the opposition party and the baseless versions of the TDP friendly media."

Clarifying over the row over the inflated power bills, Finance Minister Rajendranath said that the increase of power charges was only due to increased consumption during the lockdown.

"Due to COVID-19 induced lockdown, people are staying at home, resulting in an increase in power consumption. Although the rates of slabs have not gone up, opposition leaders are making false remarks and creating pc among the people," added Rajendranath.

"As the meter readings were done in the month of March, April and May, the average consumption is being calculated with the dynamic pricing. As the three-month bill is to be cut at once, the charges appear higher," he added.

The Finance Minister said that the new tariff has come into effect from April and said that former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is the one "responsible for the crippling power sector in the state by bringing the static method to charge the electricity bills from 2016 to 2019, which is nowhere used in the country."

The Finance Minister asserted the YSRCP government has cleared a majority of the pending dues to the distribution compes, which were made during the TDP rule.

"The previous government had left Rs 20,000 crore as dues. Within six months of forming the government, we cleared over Rs 5,000 crore of dues and brought it to Rs 15,000 crore," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )