TRS leader and finance minister T Harish Rao’s comment that the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government had succumbed to the conditions of the Narendra Modi government just for Rs 4,000 crore and decided to install meters for agriculture power connections has evoked sharp reaction from Andhra government.
On Friday, Andhra power minister Balineni Srinivas Reddy gave a strong retort to Harish Rao saying the Jagan government was maintaining friendly relationship with the Centre in the best interest of the state, unlike blow-hot-blow-cold attitude of the Telangana government.
“It is true that we have decided to install meters for agriculture power connections to get additional funds of Rs 4,000 crore from the Centre. This money will not go into our pockets, but will be used for the development of the state. Harish Rao should remember that,” Balineni said.
He pointed out that unlike the TRS governments which supports the Centre on one day and fights with it the other day, the Jagan government was looking at long-time friendly relationship with the Centre for the development of the state.
Balineni made it clear that though the state government was following the Centre’s condition on installation of meters to farm pump sets, it did not mean it was compromising on extending free power to the farmers.
“We shall not go back on our stand that the free power supply scheme would continue for another 30 years. We shall pay the money to the farmers towards power bills well in advance,” the minister asserted.