Chennai, Oct 15:
The CPI and CPM on Wednesday urged the Tamil Nadu government to scrap its proposed plan to purchase electricity from the open market at rates of up to Rs 37 per unit, demanding that power be procured at reasonable prices to address the state’s power shortage.
In a statement, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam termed the proposed rate shocking and alleged that private companies were being allowed to profit at the expense of public money by taking advantage of the power shortage.
He said the government and the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation had denied reports of power cuts for weeks despite complaints from the public, political parties and various organisations. The government should have anticipated the shortfall and taken timely measures instead of resorting to expensive power purchases, he said.
Shanmugam also called for a long-term strategy to make Tamil Nadu self-sufficient in electricity generation.
In a separate statement, CPI state secretary M Veerapandian questioned the financial implications of the proposal to purchase 4,500 MW of electricity from the open market at rates of up to Rs 37 per unit, particularly in view of the state’s existing debt burden.
He urged the government to ensure that electricity was procured at lower rates through a transparent process.
Veerapandian also opposed the smart meter scheme and alleged that moves to privatise electricity transmission lines could lead to higher power tariffs and eventually pave the way for privatisation of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board.
The CPI called on the government to increase power generation through public sector undertakings and ensure that consumers received electricity at affordable rates.