(October 22, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) Succumbing to pressure from various sides including opposition parties, the Tamilnadu government today withdrew its controversial announcement that energy consumption in excess of 600 units in households will be charged at 50 per cent more than the present tariff.
A decision to reverse the earlier plan was taken following a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi at the Secretariat this morning Tamilnadu Electricity Minister Arcot N Veerasamy, Local Administration Minister M K Stalin, Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S Arumugam, Public Works Department Minister Duraimurugan, Chief Secretary K S Sripathy and other senior officials took part in the meeting, which reviewed the power situation in the State.
The official notification said that the government has decided to withdraw its decision following opposition from leaders of various political parties, though the restriction on using more than 600 units will apply only to 5.5 lakh out of the 130 lakh domestic consumers, who use on an average more than 600 units bi-monthly.
However, no changes had been made to the restrictions introduced to industries. The State government on Monday came out with a combination of measures in an attempt to reduce energy consumption by 20 per cent for domestic consumers and 40 per cent for high tension (HT) industrial units and commercial establishments.
According to the earlier announcement, a section of domestic consumers, who use over 600 units in two months, had been advised to reduce their consumption by 20 per cent. Energy consumption in excess of the ceiling was to be charged at 50 per cent more than the present tariff.
Under the existing tariff structure, a charge of Rs 3.05 per unit is levied for 601 units and above for two months. The new measures were to tide over the shortage of 2,000 megawatt, according to an official release.
It stated that the domestic connections in urban areas would be given ‘at least 20 hours of power supply every day. - Sri Lanka Guardian
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