Andhra power deal scam: YS Sharmila writes to Governor, demands JPC probe

YS Sharmila wrote a letter to Andhra Pradesh governor regarding the Adani Group's bribery allegations. In the letter, she exposed irregularities in power agreements, and asked for an investigation into the disparities.

In Short

• APCC chief YS Sharmila wants Governor to order an investigation
• Says issue getting murkier, with evidence proving kickbacks’ allegations
• Sharmila says current finance minister saying 'matter under review' unhelpful

YS Sharmila wrote to Andhra Pradesh Governor Syed Abdul Nazeer to order an investigation into the kickbacks worth Rs 1750 crore received in the power purchase agreements between the state government and the Adani Group.

The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president, in the letter to the governor dated November 27, wrote: “The Adani bribe case was not only detrimental to the interests of the people of the state, but also showed the state in poor light internationally.”

According to Sharmila’s letter to the governor, the alleged bribery scandal plunged Andhra Pradesh into a political and administrative quagmire.

“The ‘Foreign Official 1’, according to the indictment, ‘had served as a high-ranking government official of Andhra Pradesh from May 2019 to June 2024’,” her letter stated.

Adding weight to the allegations, the US Security and Exchange Commission filings confirmed that Adani met with the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in August 2021, implying Jagan Reddy was the ‘Foreign Official 1’ in question.

She demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the solar power deal between the state government and the Adani Group.

Sharmila alleged that the deal was a massive scam and that the state government had purchased solar power at a higher rate than other states. "The deal is a huge scam and will cause a massive loss to the state exchequer," she said. "We demand a JPC probe into the deal and action against those involved in the scam."

The APCC chief accused former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy of having a secret pact with the Adani Group and alleged that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had taken a huge bribe to sign the deal.

Sharmila said, "Jagan Mohan Reddy has sold out the state to the Adani Group. He signed the deal without following proper procedures and took a huge bribe from the Adani Group."

CONCERNS ABOUT OFFICIAL ACTION

According to her, the controversy deepened as the then Andhra Pradesh electricity minister revealed to the media that approvals for the deal were granted overnight, bypassing standard procedures and without justifiable urgency.

She also pointed out the current government’s silence on the matter, saying despite mounting public pressure, no official statements were issued.

She said the current finance minister’s recent remarks about “reviewing the matter” failed to assuage concerns.

IRREGULARITIES HIGHLIGHTED

The APCC chief’s letter to the governor came two days after she wrote to Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu making the same request.

The Congress party formally sought intervention from higher authorities, urging the Chief Minister to annul the agreement and initiate an impartial investigation.

Her suggestions included forming a special investigation team or task force comprising power and senior investigation experts, with defined timelines for action.

Tagging the handles of Chief Minister Naidu, her brother, Telugu Desam Party, Jana Sena and Andhra Pradesh’s Bharatiya Janata Party, she wrote: “The burden on the people of Andhra state for 25 years due to the illegal deal is Rs. 1.50 lakh crores, the Congress party is demanding immediate cancellation of this deal.”

When the news of the US indictment against Gautam Adani first broke, Andhra Pradesh was named as one of the several Indian states where officials were bribed. At the time, too, Sharmila had denounced her brother’s term as chief minister, saying he turned Andhra Pradesh into Adani Rashtra.