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Naidu 'fails' to pay power bills

Congress members staged a walkout in the Andhra Pradesh assembly today after Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu rejected their demand for his resignation on the issue of his non-payment of electricity dues amid noisy scenes.

Leader of the opposition Y S Rajasekhara Reddy demanded the resignation of the chief minister on moral grounds for not paying electricity bills amounting to Rs.125,000 for the last two years for the power consumed by his agricultural farm.

He also demanded the suspension of the electricity officials concerned and the managing director of AP Transco for not taking action or disconnecting the connection for non-payment of dues.

He said the board officials normally initiate action and even seize pumpsets and other farm equipment if an ordinary farmer fails to pay the electricity bills in time.

As Dr Reddy continued to question the failure of Naidu to pay the bills for the last two years, there were heated exchanges between the ruling Telugu Desam Party and the Congress members.

Rejecting the Congress members' demand for his resignation on the issue, the chief minister said he came to know about the non-payment of the bills through reports in a section of the media this morning.

Naidu said he would ''get it verified and, if it was found that bills were unpaid, he would ensure that they were paid with penalty immediately''.

He said not a single agricultural connection in the state had been disconnected for non-payment of bills.

He asserted that he was prepared for any action by the board for non-payment of the bills.

Charging the Congress with politicising the issue, he said it was not proper to demand his resignation for everything. He said he was elected by the people and he was answerable to them.

UNI

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