MADURAI: The Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry has strongly opposed the increase in electricity tariff in the State and urged all political parties to oppose the power tariff hike in the interest of people, businesses and industry.
“EB tariff increase is unacceptable to everyone. The Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry appeals to all parties, especially the DMK-alliance parties including the Congress and Communists, to bring this issue directly to the attention of Chief Minister Mr.M.K.Stalin and insist on the withdrawal of electricity tariff increase announced a few days back,” TN Chamber president Dr.N.Jegatheesan has said in a press statement issued from Madurai yesterday-July 16th 2024.
IT IS UNFAIR FOR TAMIL NADU GOVT:
The TN Chamber president has said that it is unfair for the Tamil Nadu government, which opposes various anti-people schemes of the Central government, to accept the electricity tariff hike and he also questioned the Government of Tamil Nadu’s argument that the annual increase in electricity tariff is guided by the Union Ministry of Energy and the RBI under the UDAY Scheme of the central government and thus tariffs are determined by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission which is an autonomous body.
“This argument of TN Government is unacceptable. Power tariff hike affects people and businesses. The Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission has announced a 4.83 per cent increase in electricity tariffs for industrial and commercial use in Tamil Nadu from July 1st 2024. In July last year, the EB tariff was increased by 2.18 per cent. Continuous hike of power tariffs will have a bad impact on MSMEs, factories, educational institutions, hospitals, drinking water supply firms, IT companies etc. Already, 2.19 lakh small and micro enterprises, HT commercial enterprises and others have been forced to shutdown due to various crises and the latest announcement of another round of electricity charges by 50 to 60 paise per unit will further cripple the industries,” Dr.N.Jegatheesan had pointed out.
The TN Chamber president also highlighted that in the neighbouring States of Karnataka and Telangana, the first 200 units of electricity are provided free of charge for households, and added that it has been observed repeatedly that during the DMK regime in Tamil Nadu, electricity tariff hikes are substantial and “raising the EB charges every year without addressing power losses, corruption and irregularities in the Electricity Board is futile.”
