Maintain uniformity in implementing power cut schedule: HOSTIA

The Hosur Small and Tiny Industries Association (HOSTIA) demanded the State Government to maintain uniformity in implementing power cuts to High Tension (HT) consumers.

Protesting against unannounced and erratic power cuts being implemented by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) over 1,500 units of HOSTIA downed their shutters from dawn-to-dusk on Thursday in solidarity with its parent body Tamil Nadu Small and Tiny Industries Association ( TANSTIA).

Over thousand members of HOSTIA thronged the sub-station of TANGEDCO on Royakottai Road in Hosur and raised slogans in support of their demands. After the demonstration the members took out a rally to the Sub Collector's office and submitted a memorandum to the Sub Collector Prashant M. Wadnere.

In the memorandum signed by K. Sampath, President, HOSTIA, said that the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises ( MSMEs) thrived on minimum suffering and the unannounced power cuts added its woes further.

HOSTIAs demand includes maintaining uniform power cut to all industries and load shedding should be only during the scheduled timings announced.

The Government should also ensure uninterrupted power supply to the MSMEs, as they were the maximum providers of employment to the rural educated and uneducated masses.

“While the large and multi-national companies are given exemption from power cut and even separate grid facilities were provided for individual industries, it was unjustifiable that micro and small industries are subjected to power cut. As a result, most of the industries suffered huge losses.”

To save the MSMEs, the government should completely exempt them from the power cut or else MSMEs should be given prior intimation. Besides, diesel subsidy of Rs. 10 should be given to MSMEs for every unit of generation of electricity during load shedding period, as it would reduce the cost of production and enhance competitiveness, he said.

The present 25 per cent generator subsidy extended to MSMEs should be raised to 75 per cent and exclusive industrial feeders for MSMEs to ensure uninterrupted power supply. Besides this, the Government should allow MSMEs to procure power from private sources through open access system to cope with the power crisis.

The peak hour restriction for HT consumers (6 p.m. to 10 p.m.) should be withdrawn immediately. The association called for revoking generator tax as its implementation created chaos among departments, implementation of pending power projects and 100 per cent of power produced from Neyveli Thermal Power Station and Atomic Power Stations in Kalpakkam and Koodankulam Nuclear Power Stations was channelised within the state to tide over the power crisis. It also appealed to the government to set up new power plants through non- conventional energy sources such as solar and tidal etc.