Powerloom units petition CM to rollback electricity tariff hike

COIMBATORE: Powerloom units, already reeling under severe loss in business due to rise in prices of yarn and cotton, have expressed disappointment at the proposed Rs 70 paise increase in power tariff.

“The increase in power tariff may push the powerloom sector into a deep crisis. Even this tariff hike appears biased as only Rs 40 paise per unit has been increased for other industrial units with high tension power connection,” said LKM Suresh, president of Tamil Nadu Federation of Powerlooms Association

In a petition to Chief Minister MK Stalin, the association said the DMK is yet to fulfill its poll promise of increasing 750 units of free electricity given to the powerloom units to 1,000 units. Suresh demanded the state government to immediately roll back the power tariff hike to save around six lakh powerloom weavers from going jobless in Tamil Nadu.

C Palanisamy, president of Job Working Powerloom Units Owners Association said the weavers haven’t received a wage hike over the last eight years. “Steep rise in yarn prices has already ruined the powerloom sector beyond recovery. Due to heavy losses, we are struggling to pay even the regular tariff. Being so, this sharp hike in power tariff has come as a big setback. Never before Rs 70 paise was increased per unit at one go,” he said.

In Coimbatore and Tirupur districts alone, more than 2.5 lakh powerloom units churn out two crore metres of fabric worth Rs 100 crore on a daily basis.