Vice Chairman of the Telangana State Planning Board B. Vinod Kumar has said that it is the responsibility of the Union Home Department to resolve disputes, if any including the matter of power supply dues, between States.
The dispute on power supply dues between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh would not come under the purview of Union Ministry of Power and the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, would also make it clear amply. Stating that it was AP that owes power supply dues to Telangana, he requested the Home Ministry to intervene in the issue of power dues dispute and find a solution at the earliest.
He observed that intervention of MoP in the dispute over power supply dues between AP and Telangana was advisable on any grounds and taking a decision/view on any issue should be only after hearing the two sides and not taking into account version of one side. The directions to pay dues to AP would be a mistake committed by MoP.
The Planning Board Vice Chairman said the attitude of the Centre without taking into account claims and counter claims between the two States was smacking of injustice continues to be heaped on Telangana. The authorities of Telangana power utilities were claiming that it was AP that owes ₹ē12,940 crore to Telangana but the MoP did not even make a mention of it.
Besides, a petition filed by TS-Genco and Discoms against the attitude of AP-Genco was pending in the State High Court after the AP-Genco filed a petition against Telangana utilities and withdrawn it in the High Court.
He alleged that the then Chief Minister of AP N. Chandrababu Naidu had violated the bifurcation Act by stopping power supply to Telangana from AP-Genco immediately after the formation of Telangana. As a result, Telangana had to purchase energy at high rate from other State to meet the needs.