Date:05/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/05/stories/2009010557820500.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

TNEB clarifies stand on inter-State sale

T. Ramakrishnan

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) is against inter-State third-party sale of power because the State is suffering from power shortage.

Explaining the Board’s position on a various issues raised by industry, a senior official, however, says if any unit wants to buy power from producers outside the State, it is free to do so.

The official clarifies that the third-party sale can now be transacted with any high-tension consumer who has an annual demand of 500 kilowatt and above. The TNEB has decided not to go ahead with the plan of the two-day power holiday system in response to the representation from industry.

As for waiver of penalties on small-scale industrial units in the event of violation of power cut norms, the official says the penalties are violation-specific, not consumer-specific.

On abolishing the levy of cross-subsidy charges and wheeling charges for the third-party purchase under the intra-State open access system, the official says the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission and the State government are the competent authorities to decide on the issue.