Chennai, Feb 11 (IANS): Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss has urged the Tamil Nadu government to take immediate steps to operate all thermal power plants in the state to achieve self-sufficiency in power generation.
The former Union Minister stated that purchasing power at Rs 20 per unit was unacceptable when the state could generate electricity at Rs 6 per unit.
He warned that despite increasing tariffs if electricity continued to be procured at such high rates, the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) would never be profitable.
Ramadoss called upon the government to expedite the construction of thermal power plants on a war footing and further argued that if these projects were completed on time, the state would not need to rely on private companies for electricity at exorbitant prices.
He further alleged that in the last 20 years, only 2,100 MW of thermal power capacity had been added in Tamil Nadu, with no new projects implemented in the last decade.
The PMK had previously accused the state government of deliberately delaying the commercial-scale generation of electricity at the North Chennai Thermal Power Station Stage-3 to justify purchasing power from private firms at higher rates.
Ramadoss pointed out that the plant was constructed at a cost of Rs 10,158 crore and inaugurated a year ago. However, he claimed that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had hastily opened the plant before the Lok Sabha elections.
He emphasised that typically, such power plants begin generation within weeks of inauguration.
“Thermal power plants are considered operational only if they run continuously for 72 hours. However, the 800 MW plant has not functioned for that duration,” he said.
The PMK President had earlier criticised the Tamil Nadu government for increasing power tariffs three times in just 23 months. He asserted that more than 50,000 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in western Tamil Nadu had shut down, citing the tariff hike as a key reason.
“The power tariff has increased by 33 per cent, affecting all sections of society. This is unacceptable,” he said, urging the government to roll back the hike.
Ramadoss also proposed that if electricity bills were calculated on a monthly basis instead of bi-monthly, consumers could see a reduction in charges by 18 per cent to 20 per cent.