Hyderabad, Oct 21 (IANS): Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) on Monday voiced concerns over a proposed electricity tariff hike by the Congress government in Telangana, which could impose a burden of Rs. 18,500 crore on the public.

He urged the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) to reject the proposals put forth by the state government through the power distribution companies (Discoms).

KTR, as the BRS leader is popularly known, along with former minister and MLA Jagadish Reddy and other leaders met the ERC commission and handed over a letter on behalf of BRS party.

KTR expressed his apprehension about nine proposals made by the Discoms, which he believes would severely impact the financial well-being of the people.

One key proposal suggests increasing fixed charges for households consuming more than 300 units per month, raising it from Rs. 10 to Rs. 50. He termed this proposal as "highly dangerous" and warned that it would push ordinary households into financial distress.

He pointed out that grouping all industries under a single category for tariff purposes is an ill-conceived and unfair idea, which could harm the industrial sector. "Such a move is unprecedented in the state and poses a grave threat to the state's progress," KTR said, adding that Telangana’s industrial sector is already under strain.

The former minister highlighted that even Foxconn, a leading tech company, has not mentioned Telangana in its expansion plans, favouring other states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.

He attributed this to the government's misguided policies, noting that some industries have already shifted out of Telangana since this Congress administration took office.

KTR also criticised the state government for its silence on the central government’s proposal to install meters for agricultural pumps. "People are already frustrated with the unreliable power supply," he said.

Referring to the tenure of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), KTR recalled that during KCR's administration, similar proposals for tariff hikes were rejected.

"When Discoms proposed a hike for a True-Up charge of Rs. 1,200 crore, KCR ensured the government absorbed the cost without burdening the public," KTR said.

KTR emphasised that electricity is a basic necessity for the common man, not just a commodity. Under KCR’s leadership, the state provided free electricity to farmers and 24 hour power supply to households. Free power was also extended to barbers, washermen, and Dalits.

"When Telangana was formed, we had a power capacity of 7,000 MW. Today, we have increased it to 24,000 MW," he added.