Privatisation of power sector in Pondy will not affect consumers: Minister

Puducherry Home and Electricity Minister A Namassivayam allayed the fears of the elected members and also members of public that the government's decision to privatise power sector would hit employees

Puducherry Home and Electricity Minister A Namassivayam on Wednesday allayed the fears of the elected members and also members of public that the government's decision to privatise power sector would hit employees and consumers in the Union Territory.

Replying to the views expressed by the members during the debate on demands for grants to his departments including Electricity in territorial Assembly, the Minister denied rumours that the privatisation of power sector would affect the employees, consumers and the farmers here.

He also said that there was "unfounded rumour" that the assets of the Department of Electricity were worth Rs 20,000 crore and that they would all be transferred to the private players once privatisation materalised. "The value of the assets is only Rs 1,030 crore and after depreciation it would come to Rs 551 crore," Namassivayam said.

"No immovable properties would be handed to the private players. The land belonging to the government now used by the Department of Electricity would be leased out to private sector and moderate rent would be collected," the Minister said.

Namassivayam said that the subsidies now available to certain domestic power consumers and farmers would continue without any change. He also claimed that the power tariff would not be revised in the wake of privatisaion. "The decision taken by Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission alone would be adopted as far as power tariff is concerned," he said.

The Minister also made it clear that the service conditions, salaries and pensionary benefits of the employees in power sector would continue to be governed under the Indian Electricity Act 2003.