Tneb Resumes Power Supply To Binny Mills

The Buckingham and Carnatic Mills (B&C) is up and going again with the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) resuming power supply to the beleaguered unit, 24 days after it snapped the connection on May 23 for default in payment of dues.

Forty-six of the 826 looms in the weaving department, besides some minor sections, had started running, but the 4,500 workers were still anxious about the financial position of the unit and also their future in the company, labour sources said.

The revival of operations was only symbolic, as the continued lack of working capital was threatening to put the composite mill out of action any moment, they said.

N Sriramulu, general secretary of the B&C Mills staff union, said the workers were not ready to discuss any voluntary retirement proposal before the unit started functioning to its full capacity, as agreed at a tripartite meeting with the state chief minister, M Karunanidhi.

He blamed the Binny management for not taking adequate steps to raise working capital resources and alleged that it was only eyeing the vast property belonging to the mills for exploitation in the real estate market.

Binny, which runs the unit, and the state labour minister A Rehman Khan had reached an understanding to resume power supply to the mills for operations till June end, before which the financial crunch was expected to be resolved.