Chennai: There was high voltage debate on the power scenario in the Assembly on Wednesday and state power minister P. Thangamani who blamed the “indifference” of the DMK for the power mess, said the then DMK government could not even resolve the opposition to Kudankulam plant.
Aiming to counter the accusation, the DMK sought to know from the government the status of free power connections to the farmers. Initiating a debate on the demand for grants to the energy department on Wednesday in the Assembly House, former DMK minister E.V. Velu wanted to know why the government could not provide 4.1 lakh free farm power connections if the state was indeed power surplus.
“In Tiruvannamalai district alone, 29,905 applications were given by farmers seeking power connections,” he claimed. Intervening, Mr Thangamani said it would be considered later as it entailed a huge outlay of '7,300 crore. He said the AIADMK regime brought down the staggering debts of Tangedco amounting to Rs 12,000 crore created by the previous DMK regime to Rs 8,500 crore.
Ennore project to be ready by 2018: The work at the Ennore SEZ thermal power project, hit by the December deluge, has resumed and the project would commence generating power from 2018, Mr Thangamani informed.
All households eligible for 100 units free power: P. Thangamani said all households in the state were eligible for 100 units free electricity, thanks to an order by J. Jayalalithaa.
