DMK MLA N. Karthik has written to the District Collector of Coimbatore recommending ways to revive the industries, spinning mills and industrial establishments who are the users of High Voltage Electricity.
Coimbatore: DMK MLA N. Karthik has written to the District Collector of Coimbatore recommending ways to revive the industries, spinning mills and industrial establishments who are the users of High Voltage Electricity.The letter has also been emailed to the Tamil Nadu assembly opposition leader M.K. Stalin, TN Minister for Energy and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC).
With the TNEB clarifying certain doubts regarding consumer tariffs yesterday, many had requested clarity and concessions on HT lines predominantly along the lines that earlier tariffs are being charged. Singanallur MLA Na Karthik from DMK today presented his suggestions that will help with the recovery of the industries, spinning mills and industrial establishments who use High Voltage Electricity. He stated, "The government can collect the Actual Recorded Demand or 20%, whichever is the highest , as per the TNERC order dated May 4. They must cancel the fine that was imposed on the 0.9 Power Factor in the April 2020 bill immediately. For the next six months, mills should be allowed to pay the demand amountonly for the amount of electricity that they use. This concession should be provided."
He requested the District Collector to take up the matter in order to help the industries which are already facing a crisis. He said, "The Central and State governments have put a lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19 until May 17. Coimbatore is home to many industries, industrial establishments and spinningmills and the government has issued certain relaxations and restrictions, permitting the functioning of these industries from May 6, 2020. However, due to very many reasons many of these industries, industrial establishments and spinning mills have not been able to start functioning, practically."
Since March 25, 2020 all these industries and mills have not been functioning and there have been moneytransactions or trade. As a result of this the future of the industry has become questionable. The TANGEDCO had permitted the users of High Voltage electricity to pay their EB bills for the months of April and May, with penalty until May 22. They were also assured that there will be no power termination until then.
In this state, the TNERC has issued an order (Suo-Motu proceedings No. 2 of 2020) on May 4.Under the Tamilnadu Electricity Supply Code 2004, Rule no. 6 the HT Consumers can pay minimum charges for maximum demand for the Actual Recorded Demand or 20%, whichever is the highest, as guided by the TANGEDCO.However, the TANGEDCO has calculated the charges upto 90% and this has shocked the HT Consumers in Coimbatore.
The TANGEDCO has also issued a hefty fine amounting to thousands of rupeesfor the non maintenance of the .9 power factor in the April 2020 bill. Most of the industries did not function in April and May. As a result of this even if the consumer was not at fault, the transmission passage of current could have been faulty due to some technical failure. It is not fair to penalise the consumer for this.
Spinning mills use a substantial quantity of electricity for their operations.
If 40 to 50 percent of mills are operated in the next six months, the HT consumers will have to pay 90% of the actual recorded demand as per the current rules, due to the drop on demand. Therefore for the next six months spinning millsmust be permitted to pay the Actual recorded demand only for the amount of electricity usedby them.
It is important to provide this concession as the industries will be facing critical times in the next six months and this will help them sail through the time.
Therefore as per the order of the TNERC the Actual recorded demand or 20%, whichever is higher should be collected by the TANGEDCO. They must also cancel the fine that was imposed on the .9 Power Factor in the April 2020 bill immediately.