Adani power agreements under scanner in Andhra Pradesh, but scrapping them ‘difficult’ because of ‘legal issues’, ‘supply disruption’

Speaking to The Indian Express connected Tuesday, Nara Lokesh, the lad of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, said, “While we are scrutinising the presumption and conditions and acquisition prices arsenic per the PPAs, you cognize it is precise hard to scrap them due to the fact that determination are truthful galore ineligible issues. If we respond hastily, it would pb to disruption successful the powerfulness proviso and we bash not privation that. It is simply a long-drawn process. We person to cheque and measure everything earlier we are capable to instrumentality a telephone connected scrapping something.”

His comments came hours aft the state’s Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav, who arsenic president of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly Public Accounts Committee had successful 2021 archetypal raised objections to the agreements, said his section is going done the files and PPAs made during the Jagan regime.

When contacted, Keshav told The Indian Express, “We are looking astatine each the conditions and dimensions of the issue. We volition instrumentality a telephone aft scrutinising everything.”

Officials said that truthful far, nary antagonistic remarks oregon dissent notes by officials of the Finance Department oregon Energy Department person been recovered regarding the PPAs.

Nara Lokesh besides said determination was nary authoritative absorption to the PPAs during the YSRCP government. “There is thing connected grounds against the PPAs,” helium said.

On November 5, 2021, speaking extracurricular the AP Assembly astatine Amaravati, Keshav had asked wherefore the Jagan authorities decided to acquisition 7,000 MW of powerfulness from Adani Solar astatine Rs 2.49 per portion erstwhile each different states successful the state felt it was excessively costly and refused.

Keshav had alleged that nary different authorities accepted the connection of Adani Solar for astir 2 years, but the AP authorities went for the dubious woody without due evaluation.

YSRCP person and erstwhile advisor (public affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said the YSRCP authorities purchased the star powerfulness to proviso it escaped to implicit 18 lakh farmers successful the authorities nether the escaped workplace powerfulness scheme.

TDP’s Keshav and K Ramakrishna, State Secretary of CPI, had besides filed petitions successful the AP High Court against the PPAs. However, the YSRCP authorities and officials of the vigor and concern departments vehemently defended the authorities government’s decisions.

As per records, Nagulapalli Srikant, who was vigor caput successful the Jagan government, said successful November 2021 that procuring powerfulness from SECI was overmuch much beneficial arsenic others quoted higher prices. He said that the authorities was astatine that clip purchasing powerfulness astatine Rs 4.36 per portion and providing it to 18.37 lakh farmers escaped of cost. The tariffs projected by SECI were the lowest successful the country, helium said successful his connection successful the AP High Court. He stated that by purchasing powerfulness done SECI, the authorities could prevention Rs 2,260 crore.

According to the US tribunal indictment, Adani “personally met with Foreign Official 1 successful Andhra Pradesh to beforehand the execution of PSA (power proviso agreements) betwixt SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India) and AP’s authorities energy organisation companies, including connected oregon astir August 7, 2021, connected oregon astir September 12, 2021 and connected oregon astir November 20, 2021”. The “Foreign Official 1”, according to the indictment, “had served arsenic a high-ranking authorities authoritative of Andhra Pradesh from May 2019 to June 2024”.

While the indictment does not sanction Foreign Officer 1, a filing by the Security Exchanges Commission filing does accidental that successful August 2021, Adani “met personally with the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh…” Between May 2019 and June 2024, Jagan was the main minister.

The YSRCP successful effect said determination was nary nonstop statement betwixt Andhra powerfulness organisation companies and the Adani Group. It besides pointed retired that the PPAs were approved by the APERC (Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission) done its bid connected November 11, 2021, and the CERC (Central Electricity Regulatory Commission).