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TNEB may not extend deadline to SIV

Our Bureau

CHENNAI, July 31

THE Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) is not likely to extend the deadline for SIV Industries to pay its dues amounting to Rs 2.8 crore.

Official sources say there is no previous instance of the Government also asking the electricity board to extend the deadline, the sources say.

It may be recalled that the company had approached the Government to extend the deadline with a promise that it would pay the dues in 10 equal instalments.

Will the electricity board cut power supply? Why not, the sources say, declining to say whether it will do so and, if so, when.

(SIV Industries' deadline to pay the dues expired on Tuesday.)

Both the management and trade unions of SIV Industries are anxiously awaiting the Government's decision on the additional time.

According to trade union sources, the management is believed to have agreed to pay TNEB the power charge for July by August 25.

Representatives of 11 trade unions including the CITU, INTUC, HMS and AITUC met the Electricity Minister, Mr D. Jayakumar, the TNEB Chairman and senior Government officials, today, according to trade union sources.

In a representation to the Government, the workers have urged that the management should be permitted time to pay its dues in 10 equal monthly instalments. If the power supply to the continuous process unit is terminated, the machinery would suffer sever e damage and the livelihood of 4,000 workers and their families would suffer.

More than 25,000 workers including the daily wage labourers, contract workers, and those working in smaller spinning units in surrounding areas would be adversely affected, they said.

The State Government would lose a monthly revenue of Rs 8 crore, they said.