Tamil Nadu will face centre's conspiracy: Jayalalithaa

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Thursday asserted that her government would face "the Centre's conspiracy" and tide over the power shortage in the state.

Campaigning for her party candidate P. Saroja in the Dec 4 Yercaud assembly by-election, Jayalalithaa said: "Last month I had announced in the assembly that the government, with much difficulty, has made the state bereft of power cuts."

Strangely, a week after her assembly speech, power generation in several power plants was affected as equipment failed, she observed.

"What is to be noted is that the power plants under state government's control are working efficiently, but power plants under the Centre's control like Kalpakkam (atomic plant) and Neyveli have run into problems all at once," she said.

With coal shortage, there is a shortfall of 2,500 MW generation and hence there arose the necessity to resort to power cuts, she added.

Citing DMK's campaign that the state is reeling under power shortage within a week of her announcement in the assembly of the comfortable power situation, the chief minister said: "People are wondering whether power shortage is due to the conspiracy of the Centre, under advice from DMK."

Jayalalithaa also listed the various welfare measures implemented by her government in the last two and half years of her rule.