TN to get 1000MW of power from Centre to meet summer demand

Chennai, Nov 13 (UNI) The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre has promised to provide 1000 MW of power to Tamil Nadu from December one to April 30, 2009, to meet the demand in summer season, Electricity Minister Arcot N Veerasamy told the State Assembly today.

Replying to a special call attention motion given notice of by various political parties on the prevailing power crisis in the state, he said this assurance was given by the Centre to DMK MP and Union Minister for Shipping T R Baalu at New Delhi this morning.

Asserting that the present power position was manageable till the end of this month, he said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi held discussions with officials on how to cope with the demand in summer, and decided to seek power from the Central Grid.

Subsequently, Mr Baalu met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and sought 600 MW of power to meet the demand during summer.

The Centre has issued a letter promising power, for which the state government would have to pay Rs 1050 crore.

Mr Veerasamy said the Chief Minister had said money was not a constraint and that his only wish was that people should not suffer for want of power.

But this morning when Mr Baalu met the officials to convey the Chief Minister's decision, the Centre promised to provide an additional 400 MW more for the state from the Central Grid, raising its total contribution to 1000 MW, he added.

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