News Tamil Nadu

DMK Govt to start metering farm power connections, AIADMK calls out hypocrisy

December 28, 2021
The Commune

The MK Stalin-led DMK government in Tamil Nadu is working to install electricity meters for agricultural power connections.

This has attracted criticism from the Opposition AIADMK which has asked the government to halt the move immediately.

AIADMK Coordinator O. Panneerselvam in a statement hit out at the ruling DMK for its ‘double standards’ on the issue of metering farm connections as the latter had opposed the very same move when it was in Opposition.

Referring to Stalin government rolling out the 1 lakh farm electricity connection scheme in September, Panneerselvam said that the Chief Minister did not mention anything about metering such connections.

There is an apprehension among farmers that the metering exercise is only to levy consumption charges in future, he said.

Hence, the government should stop installing meters and Stalin must take steps to halt the Centre’s move in respect of metering, the AIADMK leader added.

Panneerselvam, also former Chief Minister, slammed the DMK for shifting its stand on issues, based on whether it was in the opposition or on the ruling side.

The deputy leader of the opposition also said that when the AIADMK was in power in 2002, the DMK opposed a proposal for installation of meters for farm connections and had even staged protests against the move to ‘politicise’ the matter.

He also noted that such a stand was taken by the DMK despite the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa clarifying that free electricity would continue and the move to install meters was only to record consumption to enable the government to determine demand and supply requirements.

‘The DMK, which criticised it then, is now doing the same thing (metering),’ he said mocking at the ruling party.

Here is the full statement.

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