Put CERC proposal on hold: Jaya to PM

CHENNAI: Arguing that a proposal of the Central Electricity Authority to tighten the grid frequency and raise the Unscheduled Interchange charges would seriously increase costs for the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO)—which is already facing a huge debt crisis—Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Sunday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene and put the proposal on hold.In a letter to the PM, Jayalalithaa said the operating frequency bandwidth is proposed to be restricted further from the current 49.5 Hz-50.2 Hz, to 49.7-50.2 Hz in the name of ensuring grid stability. She also flagged the Unscheduled Interchange (UI) charges, which is proposed to be raised from Rs 8.73 per unit to Rs 9 per unit at the minimum frequency of operation.“The cost of power drawn at frequency below the set level would further increase the cost of power to the utility,” she noted. Tamil Nadu is already facing acute power shortage and was also forced to raise the tariff on electricity consumption. Stating that the TANGEDCO, which is already in a debt trap would be subjected to severe financial stress on account of this move to an extent of over Rs 350 crore a year, she stressed that grid stability had not been adversely affected in the rece­nt past with the existing frequency bandwidth.