In a sensational decision, YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday ordered investigation into various agreements signed by the previous Chandrababu Naidu government involving massive corruption.
Reviewing the performance of the energy department at his Tadepalli camp office, Jagan said his government would probe into as many as 30 different deals of corruption indulged in by the previous government.
He said a cabinet sub-committee would be constituted into the corrupt practices of the Naidu government.
“We shall take the support of Anti-Corruption Bureau, Crime Investigation Department (CID) and Vigilance and Enforcement Department into the investigation,” Jagan said.
The chief minister made an extensive review of the power purchase agreements signed by the Naidu government with various power producers, especially solar and wind power producers.
He wondered why the previous government had to purchase power at such a high rates, compared to the rates quoted in competitive bidding.
“The excess payments have resulted in a huge loss of Rs 2,636 crore to the state exchequer,” Jagan said and ordered that the authorities should recover the excess payments from the power companies.
The chief minister also constituted a separate official committee to re-negotiate with the solar and wind power producing companies.
“If they do not agree to reduce the cost of power, their power purchase agreements should be cancelled and fresh bids should be called,” he said.
Since there is a massive swindling of public money in these solar and wind power purchase agreements, Jagan directed that legal action should be taken against the then higher officials of the energy department, the minister concerned and the former chief minister.