Hyderabad: Former minister T. Harish Rao has asked Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi to immediately intervene and halt the proposed privatisation and equity dilution of Telangana ’s Transco and Genco and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) and power distribution companies (discoms).
In a letter addressed to Rahul Gandhi on Friday, Harish Rao asked him to stop the proposed IPO and 26% dilution of Telangana Transco and prevent any IP, privatisation and equity dilution in power utilities and agencies. The BRS deputy floor leader asked him to direct the Telangana govt to explain how such proposal align with the Congress manifesto for 2019 Lok Sabha elections and Raipur Resolution in 2023.
Harish Rao said that the issue is not merely a Telangana govt policy matter but also concerns the credibility and consistency of the Congress party’s national economic policy. He said the Congress has historically opposed privatisation of strategic public-sector institutions and questioned how similar measures could be pursued by a Congress govt in Telangana. He said that TG-Transco manages an extensive infrastructure network comprising substations, transmission lines and power transformers built over several decades with public investment. Calling for immediate action, Harish Rao said the proposed TG-Transco IPO should be withdrawn and no further steps should be taken towards privatisation or equity dilution of Telangana’s major public-sector undertakings.
Expressing concern over reports of a proposed TG-Transco IPO and equity dilution, Harish Rao described the utility as the backbone of Telangana’s electricity transmission network. The BRS leader warned that if TG-Transco is opened to private ownership, similar steps could follow in TG-Genco, SCCL and Discoms, affecting public control over critical infrastructure. He maintained that the Congress leadership must clarify whether these proposals are consistent with the party’s stated commitment to protecting strategic public-sector assets. Harish Rao further stated that Rahul Gandhi’s credibility as Leader of the Opposition would be at stake if the Congress opposes privatisation at the national level but remains silent when a Congress government pursues similar policies in Telangana. He urged the Congress high command to ensure that the state govt does not proceed with any move that could dilute public ownership in strategic institutions. He also sought a clear and categorical response from Rahul Gandhi on the issue.