On Adani power contract, Andhra CM Naidu now says: ‘Unless there is clear proof, we cannot take action’

Speaking in the state Assembly on November 22, Naidu had said his government was in possession of the US indictment reports, and action would be taken if irregularities are found

Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu made the comments on Tuesday at Vijayawada. (Express Archives)

3 min readHyderabadJan 3, 2025 02:10 AM IST First published on: Jan 2, 2025 at 01:46 PM IST

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said that the Solar Energy Corporation of India’s agreement to purchase power from the Adani Group was an advantage for the state government and any action on the bribery charges would be taken only after a thorough examination of the records.

“We will move ahead as per the provisions of law after examining the records,” Naidu said on Wednesday while speaking with the media at the TDP’s headquarters at Mangalagiri.

On Tuesday, speaking at Vijayawada, the CM said that the state government cannot scrap contracts unless there is adequate proof of irregularities. “We have to pay high penalties if we scrap the contracts. Unless there is clear proof, we cannot take action,” he said.

The development comes more than a month after Gautam Adani’s indictment in the United States over allegations of bribing Indian government officials for securing “lucrative solar energy supply contracts”.

Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on November 22, Naidu had said that his government was in possession of the US indictment reports, and action would be taken if irregularities are found.

Also Read | Red flags in Andhra after SECI says Azure capacity given to Adani in public interest

On Wednesday, Naidu made it clear that he will never resort to vindictive politics, but emphasised that he will not leave those who commit blunders. “However big one may be, he or she is equal before the law,” he said.

Naidu also said that the people suffered a lot during the five-year rule of the YSR Congress Party. “All the systems were totally destroyed with the anarchic policies adopted by the then chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, and he pushed Amaravati, Polavaram and other irrigation projects into a total mess,” he said.

He said that the people gave a historic verdict to the TDP-led NDA government in the state in 2024. “After the coalition government was formed, I have visited New Delhi four times to not only resolve the technical problems but also get central funds,” he said.

Naidu also cautioned those who post “objectionable comments” online, saying, “People will once again experience the 1995 Chief Minister in me. If anyone resorts to posting objectionable comments on social media, stringent action will be taken.”

According to the indictment in a US court, Adani “personally met with Foreign Official 1 in Andhra Pradesh to advance the execution of PSA (power supply agreements) between SECI and AP’s state electricity distribution companies, including on or about August 7, 2021, on or about September 12, 2021 and on or about November 20, 2021”. 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”.

While the indictment does not name Foreign Officer 1, a filing by the Security Exchanges Commission filing does say that in August 2021, Adani “met personally with the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh…” Between May 2019 and June 2024, Jagan Mohan Reddy was the chief minister.

The YSRCP had issued a statement saying that there was no direct agreement between Andhra Pradesh power distribution companies and the Adani Group.

Sreenivas Janyala

Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Expr... Read More