'Power subsidies will not be stopped after linking Aadhaar'

CHENNAI: Electricity Minister V Senthilbalaji on Monday reiterated that 100 free units for domestic, subsidised supply for handloom and powerloom and free supply for huts and agricultural consumers would continue and there would be no change in it after linking Aadhaar.

"If a person has five or three domestic service connections on his/her name, he/she will continue to get 100 free units for all the connections. There is no change in the government subsidy scheme.

Some people have a fear that they will not get 100 free units if they have multiple connections. They need not worry about it," he told reporters after inspecting the special counters opened for linking consumer service numbers with Aadhaar at Dr Radhakrishnan Salai here.

He urged the consumers to make use of the special counters to link their Aadhaar till December 31. He said that out of 2.33 crore domestic connections in the State, the Aadhaar has been linked for 15 lakh connections as on date. "Until December 31, consumers can pay their bills without linking Aadhaar. People who have to name transfer service connections can do so in the special counters," he said.

When asked about what was the need for linking Aadhaar, he said that it was done only to gather information like how many people live in their own houses and rented houses, who is benefiting from the subsidy and how many connections are in a person's name. It is being done for the development of the Tangedco," he said.

Asked about the supreme court order that Aadhaar should not be made mandatory to avail subsidies, he said that the Apex court had only stated that linking Aadhaar with the voter ID is not mandatory. He said that to plug revenue leakages, the Aadhaar linking is must.