AIADMK, DMK spar over 24 hours power supply to farmers

CHENNAI: The State Assembly witnessed a heated debate between the principal Opposition AIADMK and the ruling DMK over the failure to provide 24 hours three-phase power supply to the farmers with both blaming each other for it.

Participating in the debate on the Budget for 2023-24, former minister and AIADMK legislator P Thangamani alleged that the DMK government has failed to provide 24 hours three-phase power supply to farmers despite the previous government issuing an order in this regard.

"The government is providing only 12 hours of power supply including six hours during the night time to the farmers," he said.

Responding to it, Electricity Minister V Senthilbalaji hit out at the previous AIADMK for issuing a government order to provide 24 hours power supply to farmers a day before the announcement of the State Assembly polls. "A government order was issued on February 25, 2021 to provide 24 hours power supply to farmers from April 1. The next day, the election commission declared the polling date for the Assembly polls. In the order, they had mentioned that a 12-hour power supply is being provided to delta farmers and nine hours supply to non-delta farmers. We are providing 18 hours of power supply to all the farmers. After the completion of all the infrastructure strengthening works, we will provide 24-hour supply, " he said.

Rejecting the minister's allegation, Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami wondered how would his government be aware of the Election Commission's plan to announce the state assembly poll dates. "Why the 24-hour power supply was not provided to the farmers? Irrespective of the government in power, the orders should be implemented. Whenever the DMK rules the state, the power cut too happens," he said.

Senthilbalaji asked if the State was in power surplus during the previous regime and why did they keep 4.5 lakh farmers on the waiting list. For that, the former chief minister said that the DMK government provided power connections to 1.5 lakh farmers by reducing the 24-hour power supply to 12 hours