Tamil Nadu takes steps to overcome power shortages
Tuesday, 30 December 2008, 15:21 IST
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Chennai: Tamil Nadu hopes to reduce power shortages, which have impacted industrial production badly, with a series of measures coming into effect from Jan 1. Fresh measures would reduce power shortages in Tamil Nadu, Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veerasamy said after meeting captains of industry at the secretariat here Monday. "Ahead of the school and college examinations, introduction of simple methods will ensure availability of uninterrupted power to all the two crore-plus (20 million-plus) households in Tamil Nadu besides equitable distribution to industrial consumers," Veerasamy told IANS. "From the new year, while the power outages for high-tension consumers will be reduced from the present 40 percent to a fourth of it, the same for smaller units will be reduced by a third. To join the government's endeavours, industries have proposed five-day working weeks. The new regime would come into effect from Jan 1," Veerasamy added. While the state government would request state-run Neyveli Lignite Corporation to regularly supply 600 MW to Tamil Nadu, the cumulative measures would restore normalcy by May 2009, according to Veerasamy. Industrial production is down in Tamil Nadu by almost 30 percent since load-shedding measures began some four months ago. Losses have crossed 40 billion, according to official estimates.
Source: IANS
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