Former Telangana minister T Harish Rao has blamed the Congress government for the state’s ongoing power crisis, alleging that inadequate coal planning and delayed reviews of electricity demand contributed to shortages and outages. He also accused the administration of failing to pay premiums for the Rythu Bhima farmer insurance scheme, leaving bereaved families without the assistance previously provided under the programme.
Speaking to the media in Siddipet on Thursday, Rao alleged that the government was attempting to shift responsibility for the electricity situation onto officials. He said the administration had not maintained sufficient coal stocks or conducted timely reviews of the power sector despite warnings about likely demand pressures.
“The mistake is yours, but you are blaming officials. It has become a habit of the CM Revanth Reddy and ministers to escape accountability by targeting employees,” Rao said, according to the report.
Rao also referred to warnings about the possible impact of El Niño, saying meteorologists and experts had cautioned the government over the previous nine months. He alleged that preventive measures were not taken before the crisis emerged and criticised the reported threat of suspending officials after shortages had become a public issue.
The power-related allegations come amid wider questions about how state governments plan for seasonal demand, fuel availability and the operational resilience of electricity systems. The report did not include a response from the Telangana government or independent data confirming the extent of the alleged shortages, coal stocks or outages.
Rao separately raised concerns about the Rythu Bhima scheme, which was introduced during the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi government. He alleged that the state had not remitted insurance premiums to the Life Insurance Corporation of India since August 14, resulting in the scheme being halted.
Under the programme, eligible families of deceased farmers were previously provided insurance assistance of ₹5 lakh. Rao said 22 farmer deaths had been reported in Siddipet alone since August 15 and claimed that nearly 3,000 farmers had died across Telangana during the same period. These figures and the alleged suspension of benefits were presented by Rao, and the supplied report does not contain an official confirmation from the state government or LIC.
Addressing 22 farmer families in Siddipet who, according to the report, had not received insurance benefits, Rao alleged that the lapse had pushed affected households into financial distress. He also questioned why an alternative insurance scheme announced in the state budget had not been introduced.
Rao said the Rythu Bhima programme had supported more than 1.38 lakh farmer families between 2018-19 and 2023-24, with total compensation of around ₹7,000 crore. He added that the previous BRS government had paid annual premiums of approximately ₹1,400 crore to maintain coverage.
The immediate questions for the state administration are whether electricity supply conditions have deteriorated because of coal and demand-management gaps, and whether insurance premiums and claims under Rythu Bhima remain operational. The government’s response, along with official power-sector and insurance records, will determine the extent of the disruption alleged by the BRS leader.
