Free power to farm sector must not be scrapped: PMK

PMK today asked Tamil Nadu government not to agree to any proposal by the Centre to hike power tariff or "scrapping" free power supply to farmers as part of debt restructuring of state electricity boards.
Referring to a recent meeting held by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa over the matter, PMK chief S Ramadoss said the "The draft proposals of the Centre aimed at restructuring the debt burden of SEBs are rigorous."
Annual hike of power tariff and metering farm power consumption and later levying tariff for it were among the norms proposed, he claimed.
"Tamil Nadu government should never agree to any proposal that would affect the people like increasing power tariff and scrapping provision for providing free of cost electricity to farmers," he said.

Urging Jayalalithaa to announce the stand of the state government over the issue, he said free power to ryots had become a must as "agriculture had become unremunerative."
Citing instances of tariff hike in 2011 and 2014, he said, "people will not be able to bear another tariff increase."
Referring to some of the other proposals of the Centre, he claimed that those would be beneficial.
Branching out further power distribution, halting power purchase from private players at a high cost, and low-cost power generation by SEBs by setting up thermal power plants would be beneficial, he said.