Date:01/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/01/stories/2008030156300600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Industrial units agree to reschedule weekly holiday

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and industrialists on Friday arrived at an understanding over the schedule of weekly holidays to tide over power shortage.

Industrial units coming under the jurisdiction of the Chennai (South) region will have their holiday on Monday; Chennai (North) region, Tuesday; Erode and Villupuram regions, Wednesday; Tirunelveli and Vellore regions, Thursday; Madurai and Tiruchi regions, Friday and the Coimbatore region, Saturday.

At present, the industrial units generally have their weekly off on Sundays.

Announcing the new schedule at a press meet after talks with industrialists, for over an hour, Electricity Minister N. Veeraswami said the industrial units following the new schedule would receive uninterrupted power supply. Units owning generator sets have been allowed to operate their machines for meeting their load during peak hours for two months. This has become necessary due to two factors. For the last four days, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka were drawing power in such a way that the frequency in the southern regional grid was maintained at 49.2 cycles instead of the permitted 49.5 cycles. Consequently, the TNEB was not able to generate 400 megawatt from the Kadamparai hydro power station. The Minister said the present shortage was, on an average, 300 MW. This was expected to go up to 600 MW in summer. The TNEB chairman had spoken to the chief of the Power Trading Corporation for purchase of power.