CPM writes to Stalin against Tangedco’s move to link Aadhaar

CHENNAI: CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan on Monday wrote to Chief Minister MK Stalin seeking his intervention to scrap the proposal to link consumers’ Aadhaar with service connection, rolling back charging of high tariff for domestic common connection and steep hike of tariff for the MSMEs.

In a letter to Stalin, Balakrishnan said that people are shocked over the Tangedco’s decision to link Aadhaar with consumer numbers at the behest of the Union government which wants to do away with 100 free units.

"What is the need to link Aadhaar after the Electricity Minister announced that 100 units of free electricity will not be taken away? This has created a lot of fear among the general public and especially among the people living on rent," he said.

The Marxist leader said that people living in apartments are facing double whammy of a hike in domestic electricity and common usage tariffs. The electricity charges for common usage like corridor lighting, water pump and lifts which were charged under the domestic tariff 1A previously were brought under 1D tariff and being charged Rs 8 per unit and Rs 200 per Kilowatt as fixed charge.

"As people are living with their families in flats, the question arises as to how the commercial use came about and the people and resident associations are expressing their displeasure," he noted.

The manufacturing units under the MSME sector have also been hit hard by electricity tariff hike to the extent that they are unable to do business, Balakrishnan said.

"In particular, fixed charges (Fixed Charges) have been increased by four times. The fixed charges for a manufacturing unit with a load of 0 to 50 KW has been charged Rs 150 per KW, 51-112 KW - Rs 300 per KW above 112 KW it is Rs 550 per KW as against previously charged Rs 35 per KW flatly without any slabs.

"Those units are also charged 15 per cent additionally for the consumption during the peak hours," he said, adding that unable to recover from increase in price of raw materials, introduction of GST and Covid impact, small and medium enterprises are now not able to run their units and are forced to close down due to the increase in electricity tariffs. "Several lakhs of workers are at risk of losing their jobs," he said.