Founder leader of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) S. Ramadoss on Monday flayed the government for the power cuts that have “resurfaced in the State just after the Lok Sabha polls” and lamented the proposed to move to hike the power tariff.
In a statement, Mr. Ramadoss said the rest of the State was reeling under six to eight hours of power cuts a day and even Chennai city was facing three hours of power cut. In 2011, Ms. Jayalalitha during her campaign for the Assembly elections promised to set right the power supply situation within three months.
It was nearly three years since the AIADMK assumed office, the situation in the State only got worsened, he charged. Increasing power cuts and soaring mercury levels had put the people into untold hardships.
Any power generation project with adequate planning required only 30 months for completion. When the AIADMK came to power, there were schemes for generating 12,000 mega watts of power. Had the government executed the same, the State by now would have become a power surplus State. The 660-MW power generation plant at Ennore was given the contract one year after receiving the bids, whereas the other two power projects with a capacity of 2,640 MW were waiting for the contract even after nine months of receiving the bids.
When the AIADMK assumed office, the loss incurred by the Tangedco was only Rs. 40,375 crore and to off set the losses, a power tariff hike was effected netting Rs. 7,874 crore. After three years, the loss incurred by the Tangedco rose to Rs. 75,000 crore because of failure to generate the required power, procurement of power from private sector at higher prices, irregularities in power procurement, he said.
