DMK flays government for frequent rise in power tariff

Puducherry: Opposition DMK on Sunday flayed the ruling AINRC government for 'frequently' raising power tariff, which they said was hitting the common man and industry.

Party's local unit convenor Dr M A S Subramanian said government had hiked the tariff thrice since 2011, bringing the rate to Rs 1.05 per unit. The electricity department was also levying surcharge and other levies. Domestic consumers who were paying Rs 50 per month now had to pay Rs 150 per month.

Industries were bearing the brunt of the increase, resulting a number of entrepreneurs shifting units to other States. Withdrawal of incentives and also other benefits had also been chiefly instrumental for industries closing down business here, he said in a release.

Dr Subramanian pointed out that the previous Congress ministry in which present Chief Minister Rangasamy was a part had also failed to make use of the coal block allotted by the Coal Ministry to Puducherry in Odisha in 2007.

The Union Territory was permitted to quarry 250 tonnes of coal every year. The Administration should have gone in for power generation, making use of this allocation and as much as 1500 MW could have been produced, he said.

The cost of power would have been very less and after meeting local requirement of 430 MW, government could have sold the balance to other pockets and netted hefty revenue. He urged the government to again approach the Centre and ensure that coalfield allocation was made available to Union Territory.