AIADMK saved crores via UDAY scheme: Thangamani

CHENNAI: Former electricity minister and AIADMK leader P Thangamani on Wednesday hit out at Minister for Electricity Thangam Thennarasu for blaming the previous AIADMK regime for power tariff hike and dared him for a debate over the issue.

“Is he ready for one-to-one debate regarding UDAY scheme and Tangedco loss?” asked Thangamani in a statement giving a rebuttal to the charges leveled by Minister Thennarasu that the AIADMK government’s decision to join the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme led to the power tariff hike.

The AIADMK government entered into UDAY in January 2017 to repay hiked interest loans, reduce financial burden of Tangedco and source uninterrupted supply of coal and obtain loans at low interest, said Thangamani, who was the then electricity minister. The scheme aided the government to reduce Tangedco’s loans to the tune of Rs 22,815 crore and helped the state to save Rs 2,882 crore that went towards interest, he said and continued that it had been estimated that the state benefited to the tune of Rs 11,000 crore when it entered the scheme.

The AIADMK also removed several of the components to continue free 100 units for consumers, free electricity connections to farmers and weavers, Thangamani said, adding, “In particular, we held talks and removed the condition of increasing power tariff every quarterly. The state government would compensate for the loss to match that component.”

However, the DMK government has been continuously blaming the AIADMK regime for their mismanagement, said Thangamani adding, “I am ready to explain the UDAY scheme in detail and its benefits to the people of Tamil Nadu and Minister Thangam Thennarasu at any given time. I am also ready for an open debate with the Minister. Is he ready for that?”