In order to meet demands of powerloom weavers who are on strike for over a week, the Chief Minister, Ms J. Jayalalithaa, today reduced the power tariffs for them which would entail the exchequer an additional Rs 59.69 crore.
Making a suo motu statement in the Assembly, she said free power supply to those weavers using up to 500 units for two months would continue as announced earlier.
Powerloom weavers consuming 501 units to 1,000 units every two months would need to pay Rs 2 a unit compared to the existing Rs 4. The remaining Rs 2/unit would be given as subsidy, she said.
For those units consuming 1,001 to 1,500 units every two months, she said weavers can pay Rs 3/unit as compared to Rs 4.
Through these measures, she said the subsidy would go up to Rs 212.84 crore from Rs 153.15 crore every year. “The increased subsidy of Rs 59.69 crore will be given to Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd by the Government”, she said.
The powerloom weavers were on a strike charging the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission with hiking a 300 per cent jump in the power tariffs which was announced in March.