News Tamil Nadu

TN Has Highest Commercial Power Tariff, Higher Domestic Rates For 100+ Units: Arappor Iyakkam Exposes DMK Govt’s False Claims, Slams TN-DIPR For Fake News

December 28, 2024
The Commune

The anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam has condemned the Tamil Nadu Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) for publishing a misleading report about the state’s electricity tariffs. The DIPR, an official state government body meant to provide accurate information to the public, released a report claiming that Tamil Nadu has the lowest electricity tariffs in India, which Arappor Iyakkam asserts is false.

On 16 December 2024, the Tamil Nadu government’s press release stated that Tamil Nadu offers the lowest electricity tariff in the country, but Arappor Iyakkam has called this claim a blatant distortion of facts. The NGO points out that the original statement came from an analyst, Arvind Warrier, who clarified that Tamil Nadu only has the lowest tariff for households using up to 100 units. However, DIPR misrepresented this information, making it appear as if Tamil Nadu’s tariff is the lowest across all categories.

Arappor Iyakkam has conducted a detailed study on the actual standing of Tamil Nadu in various electricity tariff categories. The research reveals that while Tamil Nadu is first in the category for households using up to 100 units per month, it ranks poorly in higher usage categories. For instance, Tamil Nadu’s ranking has dropped from 4th to 9th place for households using 200 units, from 12th to 18th place for those using 400 units, and from 14th to 24th place for households consuming 600 units. For those using 800 or 1000 units, Tamil Nadu has fallen to 29th and 30th positions, respectively, surpassing the power tariffs of most of the states in India .

Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam
Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam
Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam
Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam
Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam
Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam
Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam

 

Additionally, the report shows that Tamil Nadu charges some of the highest electricity rates for commercial and industrial sectors, including small businesses like petty shops, and in medium and large industrial categories. Tamil Nadu is ranked last or near the bottom in many of these categories. In contrast, neighboring states like Karnataka, Gujarat, and  provide more favorable electricity rates.

Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam

 

Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam
Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam
Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam
Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam
Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam
Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam
Image Courtesy: Arappor Iyakkam

 

The report also criticizes the Tamil Nadu government for continuing to impose high electricity tariffs on the public while failing to recover money lost to corruption, particularly regarding coal imports and other alleged financial mismanagement. Arappor Iyakkam argues that the state should be reducing burned on the public by reducing corruption instead of passing on the burden to the citizens.

In response to the misleading report, Arappor Iyakkam is planning a protest at Valluvar Kottam on 5 January 2024, at 9:30 am, demanding that the Tamil Nadu government reduce electricity tariffs and address the growing financial burden on the public.

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