The Hindu Business Line : TN chamber pleads for priority to streamlining power distribution

Madurai, Nov. 12 Tamil Nadu Government must accord top priority to 24-hour power supply unmindful of cost to prevent a breakdown of the economy, the Tamilnadu Chamber of Commerce and Industries said.

The chamber is afraid that the “number of public welfare schemes implemented by the Tamil Nadu Government would be of no avail if the Government does not set right the immense production deceleration, loss of employment and price escalation caused by the present unprecedented power shortage in the State”.

In a statement here, the senior president of the chamber, Mr S. Rethinavelu, while welcoming the recent move by the Government to permit third party sale of power by private producers, said that if they were allowed to sell power only to large industries having connected load of 5MW and above, the decision would not benefit small industries.

Though the scheme for granting subsidy for small and medium industries to purchase generators is praiseworthy, with the cost being as high as Rs 12 per unit, the chamber has expressed its scepticism over the scheme producing the desired result. Further, “it remains to be seen for which sector of industries it would be a viable proposition to buy power from private power producers at a higher cost”, he said.

Stating that a number of proactive suggestions mooted by the industrial sector to lessen the impact of power shortage, though agreed in principle, are yet to be implemented and some still await consideration, Mr Rethinavelu added that the Government should take immediate steps to implement the demands without minding the cost factor.

Suggestions

In his appeal, he suggested that large industrial units possessing high-power diesel generators and keeping them idle should be motivated to generate power by ensuring supply of adequate diesel and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board should procure power produced by them at cost price and supply it to the industrial sector.

The temporary permission of third party sale by private power producers should be made a permanent policy and they should be allowed to sell power to those having 100KW connected load so that the benefit accrues to small and medium industries, he said. The Chief Minister should exert his influence with the Central Government to remove the import ban on low-cost fuel, Supreme Kerosene Oil, Mr Rethinavelu added.

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