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“Power cut unkindest cut for small industries”

PUDUCHERRY: Representatives of the Puducherry Industries Joint Action Council on Tuesday criticised the territorial administration for “singling out small scale industrial units for imposing power cut.”

President of Pondicherry Chamber of Industries S. Kanagasabhapathi told reporters that the administration had spared high tension users and other consumers while introducing power cut.

Terming the decision “one-sided,” he said the power shedding imposed to the extent of 14 hours on alternate days in the industrial estates at Mettuplayam and Sedarapet had affected production. Around 60 small scale units had been closed and owners of the remaining units were compelled to cut salary by 50 per cent owing to production loss, he said.

Secretary of the Association of Small Industries of the Union Territory K. Parthasarathy said the government had promised to withdraw the power cut immediately after it came into force in May but it had not been done so.

The average power consumption by the two industrial estates came to only around 11 MW a day, the bigger industrial units and commercial establishments that drew more electricity had been spared, he alleged.

Representatives of various small scale units at their meetings with the Electricity Minister and officials had suggested that they alter the pattern by introducing power shutdown once a week on rotation basis in the industrial estates, he said.

Though they agreed to consider the suggestion, it was not implemented, he said, adding that if the trend continued for another two months all the units would be shutdown. Mr. Parthasarathy appealed to the government to include all stakeholders while imposing power cut, as it was done by the Tamil Nadu government.

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