Salem (TN), Oct 14 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government is procuring 4,400 MW of power from five private companies at an exorbitant rate, further burdening the state’s electricity board, which already has about Rs 2.48 lakh crore in debt, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami alleged on Wednesday, terming the procurement deal a “mega corruption” scandal.
Addressing reporters here, the Leader of Opposition launched a scathing attack on the state government, accusing it of purchasing electricity at an exorbitant rate of Rs 35 per unit from private players, a cost he claimed was unprecedented across the country.
“No state government in India has ever purchased power at Rs 35 per unit. Our government procured power between Rs 11 and Rs 20 per unit, and the present TVK government cited irregularities in that and cancelled the agreements. Now, they are purchasing electricity at a 75 per cent higher cost. What is the necessity to buy power at such exorbitant rates when the power utility is already reeling under a debt burden of nearly Rs 2.48 lakh crore?” Palaniswami questioned.
Drawing a comparison with neighbouring states, Palaniswami pointed out that Andhra Pradesh had recently procured power in October at rates ranging between Rs 15 and Rs 20 per unit. He alleged that the state government deliberately orchestrated an “artificial power shortage” over the past four months to push the public into distress and subsequently justify high-cost emergency purchases from private firms.
However, earlier in the day, State Electricity Minister R Nirmal Kumar defended the move, stating that only 1,000 MW of gas power is being procured at higher rates due to peak demand and an energy shortage across the country, primarily to ensure uninterrupted supply.
The former chief minister also targeted the government over spiralling inflation and agrarian distress. He stated that essential commodity prices had skyrocketed under the current administration, with rice hitting Rs 100 per kilogram and cooking oil prices rising by 40 per cent, severely hurting middle-class and low-income families.
Highlighting the crisis faced by farmers in the Cauvery delta region, Palaniswami said water from the Mettur Dam was opened for the samba crop without adequate planning or securing Tamil Nadu’s legitimate water share from Karnataka. He warned that dam storage was rapidly depleting and that standing crops risked drying up.
Palaniswami also criticised the chief minister for alleged extravagant spending, claiming Rs 4.5 crore was spent on travel via a private aircraft merely to inaugurate the water release at Mettur Dam.
Turning to recent electoral contests, Palaniswami alleged that the ruling dispensation secured victories in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram by-elections through the blatant misuse of money and state power rather than democratic support, claiming that even alliance partners had publicly acknowledged cash distribution in the constituencies.
The AIADMK chief further criticised the state’s prevailing law and order situation, alleging rampant drug trafficking, increasing crimes against women and children, and daily incidents of violence across Tamil Nadu. PTI JR ADB
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