TN power tariff hike: Oppn slams govt, demands withdrawal of revision

Tamil Nadu's main opposition, the AIADMK and the BJP on Tuesday slammed the state government over the latest power tariff hike announced on July 15, saying the people cannot be burdened due to the "administrative inefficiency" of the ruling DMK.

AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, alleged that the tariff revision was a result of the DMK's "arrogance" following its clean sweep of the April 2024 Lok Sabha polls, where the party-led alliance had won all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu.

Whenever DMK came to power in the state, power cuts and tariff increase were common, he alleged in a statement.

"Due to the arrogance of winning all 39 seats and after the Vikravandi bypoll (which the DMK won), Chief Minister M K Stalin has gifted a five per cent power tariff revision to the people of Tamil Nadu," he said.

The former chief minister pointed out that this was the third such revision effected after the DMK assumed power in 2021, and also referred to the increase in property tax, water tax, milk prices during this period.

The DMK did not keep up its poll-time assurance of monthly calculation of power consumption, as against the two-month calendar followed at present.

"It is unfair to mount the burden of your administrative inefficiency on people's heads," Palaniswami said and demanded for the immediate rollback of the latest revision.

BJP state president K Annamalai also hit out at the government on the issue.

He claimed the government was spending more on purchasing power and showing little interest in power generation initiatives, which resulted in increased tariff.

He also slammed the CM over his party's promise on monthly calculation of power usage and also claimed the initiative to install smart electricity meters has been put on the backburner.

He too charged the ruling DMK with "administrative inefficiency."

"In this situation, how is it fair to dump the tariff hike on people's heads," he said in a post on 'X.'

Annamalai wanted a rollback of the revision and a focus on increasing electricity generation, including in the solar power front.

Power tariff for different sections of consumers was revised in Tamil Nadu on Monday and this was part of the measures to offset the mounting financial losses incurred over the years, the state-run discom TANGEDCO had said on Monday.