KTR accuses Telangana Congress of plotting to end free power for farmers
Synopsis
KTR is calling it a conspiracy, not a reform. His central charge: the Telangana Congress Cabinet's decision to meter agricultural motors and replace household meters with prepaid units within three months is a backdoor move to kill free electricity for farmers — and eventually hand the state's power utilities to private players.
Key Takeaways
BRS working president K.
Rama Rao on 24 May alleged the Telangana Congress government is plotting to end free electricity for farmers.
The State Cabinet reportedly decided on 23 May to install meters on agricultural connections and replace household meters with prepaid units within three months .
KTR alleged the move is designed to enable privatisation of Telangana's power utilities under the guise of metering reform.
He recalled that the previous BRS government resisted Centre pressure to install prepaid meters, even as a ₹30,000 crore loan was reportedly withheld.
Congress in Telangana has not publicly responded to KTR's allegations, according to reports.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) on Sunday, 24 May alleged that the Telangana Congress government's decision to install meters on agricultural motors is a calculated move to dismantle the state's free electricity scheme for farmers. Speaking at the BRS party office in Hyderabad, KTR warned that prepaid meters would ultimately pave the way for privatising the state's power sector.
What the Cabinet Decided
According to KTR, the Telangana State Cabinet on Saturday, 23 May reportedly took a decision to install meters on all agricultural connections and replace existing household meters with prepaid meters — all within a three-month window. He described the move as analogous to prepaid mobile phone connections, where consumers pay before they consume.
KTR alleged that the Congress government is plotting to completely remove existing meters from every household and substitute them with prepaid units, effectively ending subsidised and free power access for large sections of the population.
BRS's Pre-Election Warning, Revisited
KTR reminded the gathering that BRS and former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) had specifically cautioned voters before the Assembly elections that a Congress government would abolish the free electricity scheme. He claimed those warnings have now proved accurate.
He also recalled that the previous BRS government had resisted pressure — allegedly from Prime Minister Narendra Modi — to install prepaid meters, even when the Centre reportedly withheld a loan of ₹30,000 crore to the state. KCR, he said, had refused to buckle and protected both the free power scheme and public ownership of power utilities.
Allegation of Privatisation by Stealth
KTR alleged that the prepaid meter rollout is not merely a billing reform but a deliberate strategy to hand over Telangana's power utilities to corporate entities. He argued that once prepaid meters are in place, the state government would have a ready mechanism to discontinue subsidies and free power without a formal policy announcement.
Critics of the Congress government in the state have echoed similar concerns, arguing that metering agricultural connections is the first step toward volumetric billing — a shift that would directly erode the financial benefit farmers currently receive under the free power scheme.
KTR's Call to the Public
Addressing party workers and supporters, KTR urged citizens to mobilise against what he termed 'power conspiracies' being engineered within the electricity sector. He called on the public to oust the Congress from power before meters are installed on agricultural motors and before prepaid meters reach every household.
He also alleged that despite nearly half of the Congress government's five-year term having elapsed, it has failed to deliver on its pre-poll promises, and instead engaged in what he characterised as 'anarchy and corruption at every step.' The Congress party in Telangana has not yet issued a formal response to KTR's allegations, according to reports.
With the metering decision reportedly set for implementation within three months, the political battle over Telangana's free power scheme is likely to intensify in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
But they rest entirely on intent — something the Congress government has not confirmed. The metering of agricultural connections is a technically defensible step that most power-sector experts have long recommended for accurate subsidy targeting; the question is whether the Telangana government has committed, in writing, to maintaining the free power benefit post-metering. That commitment is conspicuously absent from the public record. If the Congress fails to clarify the scheme's future before implementation begins, it hands BRS a ready-made campaign issue — and validates every pre-election warning KTR is now citing.
NationPress
8 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What has KTR alleged against the Telangana Congress government?
KTR has alleged that the Congress government's decision to install meters on agricultural motors and replace household meters with prepaid units is a deliberate move to abolish the free electricity scheme for farmers and privatise the state's power sector. He made these allegations at a BRS party meeting in Hyderabad on 24 May.
What did the Telangana Cabinet reportedly decide on 23 May?
The Telangana State Cabinet reportedly decided on 23 May to install meters on all agricultural connections and roll out prepaid meters across households within three months. The decision has not been officially detailed in a public statement, according to reports.
What is the free electricity scheme for farmers in Telangana?
The free electricity scheme provides agricultural connections with subsidised or zero-cost power for farm use. It was a flagship welfare measure of the previous BRS government and was retained as a promise by the Congress during the Assembly election campaign.
How did the previous BRS government respond to prepaid meter pressure?
KTR claimed that the BRS government under KCR resisted pressure from the Centre to install prepaid meters, even when a loan of ₹30,000 crore was reportedly withheld from the state. He cited this as evidence of BRS's commitment to protecting farmers' free power access.
What happens next in the Telangana power meter row?
If the Cabinet decision stands, metering of agricultural connections and household prepaid meter rollout are expected within three months. Political opposition from BRS is set to intensify, and the Congress government will likely face pressure to publicly commit to maintaining the free electricity benefit post-metering.
