Powerloom weavers asked to maintain power factor

Weavers asked to rectify power factor within 60 days and if they failed to do so, they will have to pay penalty

Powerloom weavers in Somanur have been in for a shock for the last four or five days. Officials from Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) are visiting the units, issuing notices, and asking them to pay penalty for not maintaining the power factor.

Notice issued

According to an official of Tangedco, the power factor to be maintained by the powerloom units is 0.85. If it is lower, the unit owners have been issued notice, given 60 days time, and asked to use the right power capacitors to rectify the power factor. “So far, the units had analog meters. Now, with installation of digital meters, it is possible to read the power factor. We are asking them to improve the capacitors and we are not levying any penalty,” the official said.

According to the notices distributed, the weavers have been asked to rectify the power factor in 60 days and if they do not do so, they will have to pay penalty.

However, the job working powerloom unit owners in Somanur say that the Tangedco officials have asked nearly 1,000 units to pay penalty during the last four or five days. The penalty varies between ₹2,000 to ₹9,000, they claim. About 90 % of the powerloom units face problems related to power factor. Each unit has 10 to 20 looms and do only job work. This is an additional financial burden on the units, they say.

“We have asked the Tangedco to tell us what capacitor we should use and how we can set the issue right. But, the officials are not willing to guide us. Instead they are levying penalty,” alleged one of the job working powerloom unit owners.