Use power judiciously, CM appeals to farmers
Hitting out at the AIADMK government for pushing Tangedco into a deep debt burden, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday urged the farmers who got free power connections to use energy judiciously as the power generation is a cost intensive one.
Launching the one-lakh agricultural power connections scheme here, Stalin said that the previous AIADMK government has provided only about two lakh power connections to agriculture in their 10-year rule as against 2.09 lakh connections provided between 2006 and 2011 DMK rule. “This is the difference between the AIADMK and DMK regimes. In less than four months of coming to power, we are providing one-lakh connections. DMK government is always pro-farmer,” he said, appreciating the efforts of Electricity Minister V Senthilbalaji in launching the scheme in such short time.
Recalling his father and the then chief minister M Karunanidhi launching the free power supply scheme for agriculture in 1990, he said from 1978 farmers led by Narayanasamy Naidu protested seeking a concession on the power tariff for agricultural consumers. “When Kalaignar was chief minister in 1990, he announced in the Assembly that free power supply would be provided for farmers. No farmers had sought such a scheme. In that line, we are launching the onelakh power supply connection scheme,” he said.
Stalin noted that the launch of the scheme does not mean that Tangedco’s financial condition is good. “The previous AIADMK government has ruined the finances of the electricity board. Tangedco has a debt burden of Rs 1.59 lakh crore and paying an annual interest of Rs 16,000 crore,” he said. He blamed the decisions to go for high-cost power procurement, signing of long term power purchase agreement, irregularities in the coal stocks in the thermal power plants and non-maintenance of power distribution. He said that in the AIADMK rule, a mere 1,481 MW new power generation capacity was added and of them, 1,428 MW projects were planned during the previous DMK government. “After coming to power, we have taken steps to revive Tangedco. The work has been initiated on new power projects with a total capacity of 17,980 MW and efforts are taken to complete all the ongoing power projects. Solar power generation will be given priority and the first solar park will be set up at Tiruvarur district. “Tangedco has signed an MoU with IREDA for mobilising Rs 1.32 lakh crore funds required for power projects,” he said.