Amaravati, Jan 2 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said that the state government cannot cancel power purchase agreements with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) without obtaining concrete proof to back the bribery allegations.
The Chief Minister’s comments came against the backdrop of last month’s decision by Andhra Pradesh Power Distribution Companies to procure over 4,000 million units of power from SECI, out of the total agreed 17,000 MU from the next financial year.
Naidu asserted that SECI’s agreement to buy power from the Adani Group was an advantage to Andhra Pradesh.
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said that no action will be taken against Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) over allegations of bribery until “concrete proof” is established.
The Chief Minister emphasised that he could proceed with action against anybody only after thoroughly establishing documentary proof. He was answering questions from reporters as to why he is not acting against certain individuals.
“I never indulge in political vendettas. However, I will not spare wrongdoers,” he added.
“We are getting proper documentation and once we get that then we will take action if there was any corruption involved. If we cancel the MoUs right away then it may lead to legal issues and unnecessary complications,” Chandrababu Naidu said in an informal interaction with reporters at the TDP headquarters.
The allegations have been refuted by the Adani Group.
Though the US indictment does not name any official, filings by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) allege that “Mr. Adani met with the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh during that period”. From May 2019 to June 2024, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh was YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The Adani Group has also attributed a wrong understanding of the US indictment to the “incorrect” reporting about the bribery charges, stating that it offered no evidence about the alleged exchange of bribes.
“The ill-founded US action and reckless false reporting have led to significant repercussions for the Indian conglomerate, such as international project cancellations, financial market impact, and sudden examination from strategic partners, investors, and the public,” the Adani Group said in a statement.
Meanwhile, refuting the bribery allegations, the YSR Congress Party has said the agreement was between the state government, Discoms and SECI which is a central government organisation and there is no third-party involvement.
–IANS
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