NDA kept power tariff unchanged, says Anitha

Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha said the NDA government has honored its commitment by not raising electricity charges and accused the previous YSRCP government of repeatedly hiking tariffs despite assurances to the contrary.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, she said power tariffs were revised nine times over five years under the previous regime, imposing an estimated burden of Rs 32,000 crore on consumers. She said people still recall the steep electricity bills from that period and the public protests that followed.

Ms. Anitha said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had prioritized the power sector and referred to a key decision on true-up charges. Under this decision, the government would absorb the cost, so no additional burden would fall on consumers. As a result, she said, the effective power tariff had decreased by 13 paise per unit.

Alleging that electricity was earlier procured at inflated prices, she said power had been treated as a revenue source, pushing the sector into debts of Rs 1.29 lakh crore. She said the NDA government was now focusing on solar energy and would take decisions in the public interest, noting that electricity affected daily life.

On revenue administration, the Home Minister said pattadar passbooks were now being issued with the official State emblem. She criticised the previous government for printing personal photographs on passbooks and memorial structures. The Revenue Department, she said, had been streamlined, and 2026 would mark a year of revenue reforms.

Ms. Anitha also announced that 25,000 Pattadar passbooks would be distributed in the Payakaraopeta Assembly constituency.