We have no plans to topple Govt.: MSR

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JULY 8. The APCC president, Mr.M. Satyanarayana Rao, has denied the Telugu Desam Party's allegation that the ongoing agitation against the steep hike in power tariff is politically motivated, aimed at dislodging the Government.

``We do not have the capacity to topple the Government and we have therefore no selfish motives in organising the stir. We can't help if the Telugu Desam MLAs have other ideas (of embarrassing the Government),'' he said presiding over a seminar on ``Hike in power rates,'' organised by the APCC at Sundarayya Vignana Kendra on Saturday.

Mr. Rao said women, who were instrumental in returning the TDP to power, were in the forefront of the agitation which would be carried out until the power rates were rolled back. He attributed the huge losses suffered by the APTRANSCO to the inefficiency, corruption and mismanagement of the power sector by the Government. There was no transparency in what the Government did, he said.

The PCC chief demanded that the Government give a categorical commitment in writing backed by a veritable timebound activity chart to improve the non-agricultural billing from the present 41 per cent to at least 75 per cent. In the absence of a concrete plan of action, the people were justified in asserting their rights by resorting to direct action.

Mr. Satyanarayana Rao, who read out a prepared speech, also wanted a comprehensive white paper on the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). The Government must clear the doubts of the people on the cost of power production, the transmission and distribution losses, the break-up of hydel, thermal and wind power generated in the public sector and other related issues. There was lot of confusion about the power allocated or consumed by the agricultural sector.

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, president of Lok Satta, Mr. Girish Sanghi, Chairman and Managing Director, Vaartha, Mr.E.Ella Reddy, Chairman, Bar Council, were listed as speakers but they were not present. Barring the presence of Mr.A.B.K. Prasad, senior journalist and Prof.Kodandarami Reddy, who were the guest speakers, it was all the way a Congress show with many a party leader queuing up to speak and the PCC president promptly obliging them.

A score of Congress leaders including a half dozen women, who spoke at the seminar, mounted a blistering attack against the Government in general and the Chief Minister, Mr.N. Chandrababu Naidu, in particular. Some of them urged the party leadership to carry on the struggle till the fall of the Naidu Government.

Mrs G. Aruna, president of the A.P. Mahila Congress, said women were the worst hit by the recent power tariff hike as power- driven gadgets used at homes were no more luxury goods but helped reduce their drudgery.

Mr. Patta Seshaiah, freedom fighter, said the open letter written by the deputy Speaker, Mr.K. Chandrasekhar Rao, to the Chief Minister conveying the resentment of the people against the tariff hike should serve as an eyeopener to the TDP. Otherwise the ruling party would split and the Government was bound to fall.

Mr.A.B.K. Prasad said the World Bank had been assiduously working for limiting the role of the Government in economic activities. The creation of the A.P. Electricity Regulatory Commission was part of this ``evil design.'' The Bank experimented the power reforms in the Philippines to the detriment of the people there and was now concentrating on Andhra Pradesh. He welcoming the rethinking by the Congress leadership on the economic reforms.

Prof. Kodandaram Reddy said the interests of the underprivileged were in danger with the Government gradually entrusting all economic activity to the private sector. The steep hike in power rates was a sample of the worst things in store for the people.

Mr. Uttamkumar Reddy said the way the power purchase agreements were entered into with private developers would take the tariff one day to Rs 15 per unit. Subsidised power for agriculture was nothing new and even in Germany, power to the farm sector was heavily subsidised.

Mr.P. Sudhakar Reddy, A.P. Youth Congress president, Mr.S. Krupa Rao, city Congress president, and others spoke. Mr.K.C. Sekhar Reddy, convenor of the seminar, welcomed.

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