Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project, the brainchild of Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, delivered a shock to KCR in the very first month of its inauguration, in the form of 'power bill'.
The first power bill of Kaleshwaram has been issued for Rs 20 crore.
This bill pertains to only Kannepally pump house from where water is lifted from Medigadda to Annaram barrages through six motors from June 21, when it was inaugurated by AP CM YS Jagan and KCR.
The lifting of water from Annaram to Sundilla has just commenced and the bill is yet to be issued.
Kannepally pump house is only one among the 20 pump houses that are set up to lift water to various barrages as part of Kaleshwaram project.
The Kannepally pump house too is yet to become fully operational.
If only one pump house at Kannepally, that too in operation partially, could cost Rs 20 crore per month, imagine the situation when all the 20 pump houses run 24x7.
The power bill is expected to cross Rs 10,000 crore per year when all the pump houses work.
To lift just a TMC of water, the expenditure incurred was Rs 1.50 crore now. There is no wonder even if power bill reaches Rs 15,000 crore per year in the coming days.
TS Transco and Genco are more worried than CM as they are clueless when the government will pay the bill because any dealy would only push them into financial crisis and adversely impact power sector in Telangana.
Various government departments already owe Rs 10,000 crore power bills to Transco.
The Kaleshwaram will further multiply these arrears.
When KCR cannot clear previous bills of departments for years, how can one expect him to clear mounting Kaleshwaram bills in time.
