Congress Moving to Scrap Free Power for Farmers, KTR Warns

Hyderabad: The BRS working president has levelled serious allegations against the Congress administration, claiming it intends to dismantle the free electricity scheme for farmers by rolling out prepaid meters and privatising the power sector.

At a party gathering in Amberpet on Sunday, KT Rama Rao expressed strong opposition to the government's reported plan to replace conventional electricity meters with prepaid versions across both rural and urban regions, covering agricultural connections as well. He called on citizens to mount resistance to the proposal.

According to Rama Rao, the Congress government was actively promoting private sector involvement in electricity operations, with the ultimate goal of transferring control to corporate entities. He characterised the proposed prepaid meter system for farm pump sets as an initial move designed to strip farmers of their existing free power benefits.

The BRS leader reminded supporters that his party had cautioned voters during assembly elections that the farmer subsidy would come under threat if Congress formed the government. He noted that former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had resisted Centre-led pressure to introduce prepaid meters, even as the state faced alleged restrictions on borrowings amounting to Rs 30,000 crore.

Rama Rao claimed the Congress government intended to deploy prepaid electricity meters statewide within a three-month window. He urged the public to organise political opposition to the initiative before the technology could be installed across residential and agricultural consumer connections.

The former minister further attacked the Congress administration on multiple fronts, citing corruption allegations, administrative shortcomings, and unfulfilled electoral commitments despite the government being nearly midway through its term. He asserted that public discontent with the ruling dispensation was spreading throughout the state.

Turning to urban governance matters, Rama Rao condemned the demolition operations being carried out under HYDRAA. He contended that whereas the previous BRS government had constructed dwellings for economically disadvantaged populations, the current administration was destroying homes and displacing residents.

The BRS leader also took aim at Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy regarding the proposed Future City initiative. According to him, the government was neglecting existing urban systems and public services while pursuing grandiose plans for new projects.

On the Musi river rehabilitation programme, Rama Rao maintained that the preceding BRS government had already commenced substantial sewage treatment infrastructure development. He charged the Congress administration with exploiting the project for financial gain while conducting extensive demolitions that were harming local residents.

Rama Rao announced upcoming digital membership registration campaigns and worker training initiatives across all constituencies. He stated that the party would prioritise leaders demonstrating active engagement with community concerns when finalising candidates for the forthcoming Hyderabad municipal corporation elections.