Responding to a call for a State-wide protest given by the Tamil Nadu Small and Tiny Industries Association (Tanstia) and allied associations against unscheduled power cuts, about 60,000 micro and small enterprises (MSEs), representing five lakh workers, downed their shutters in various parts of the State on Thursday.
As part of the protest, most of the units suspended operations in different parts of the State, excluding Chennai, and the total production loss was put at Rs.300 crore by Tanstia representatives. Demonstrations, rallies and public meetings were held in Erode, Coimbatore and Madurai districts. The units demanded uninterrupted power supply to MSEs on the lines of large-scale and multinational firms, provision of diesel subsidy for generation of electricity, revoking of electricity tax, strengthening of the power grid and scheduling of power cuts in the morning hours by giving prior intimation to them.
Later, Tanstia representatives, led by its general secretary D.S.M. Jayarajan, treasurer S. Gouthaman, joint secretary V. Nityanandam and past president A. Shanmugavelayuthan, met Chief Secretary S. Malathi and Principal Power Secretary Ramesh Kumar Khanna and explained their short-term and long term demands.
Talking to The Hindu , Mr. Jayarajan said, “We have asked the state government to improve its power generation and distribution efficiency so that MSEs are assured of quality and reliable power. Unscheduled power cuts have seriously affected the health and production schedule of continuous process industries in the State, such as foundry, plastic processing, die casting and tread rubber manufacturing.”
In her reply, the Chief Secretary briefed them about the various measures taken by the State government to tide over the power crisis and urged them to come out with a list of places where power cuts could be scheduled only in industrial estates and industrial clusters during morning hours.
Mr. Jayarajan said the Chief Secretary informed them that the government was fully aware of the situation.
Wherever a policy decision was required, the industry would have to wait for the formation of a new government, but administrative matters could be attended to immediately. She also told them that a letter had been sent to the Election Commission regarding provision of diesel subsidy.
Some of the representatives said power cuts were being effected for the past 18 months and that their production was hit by 25-40 per cent.
“As our plea failed to yield positive result, we took this decisive step. However, this is not the end, we will wait for the formation of the next government to make the next big move,” they said.
