CPI(M) warns of 'fall' in Tamil Nadu's industrial, agricultural output

MADURAI: The CPI(M) today warned that Tamil Nadu's industrial and agricultural output and economy would "steeply fall" if the government does not take immediate steps to overcome the power crisis by purchasing power from the other states and the central grid.

Small and medium industries were facing eight hours of power cut every day and thousands of people had been thrown out of jobs already, CPM State Secretary G Ramakrishnan, said here.

Both the ADMK and the DMK governments failed to plan for the production of the power generation, taking into consideration the future requirement, he charged.

He also said it was "not fair" to increase the electricity tariff for the ordinary people and withdraw the free power supply for the farmers, as the Electricity Board was incurring loss "only due to subsidised power supply for the multinational companies and big corporate houses".

Referring to the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project, he said the government should convince the local people about the Plant's safety, and also allocate Rs 200 crore for the development of the villages surrounding the project, before commissioning it.

The government should ensure that private schools collected only the prescribed fee from the parents from the beginning of the forthcoming academic year itself, he said.

Referring to recent murder of school teacher Uma Maheswari by her 15-year-old student, he said the government should take immediate steps to ensure proper atmosphere in school for teachers, and students, and also arrest the "deteriorating culture" in consultation with the experts.

Ramakrishnan was here to inaugurate a fast by the CPM activists demanding to allocation of Rs 100 crore for the 140-year-old Government Rajaji Hospital here, which caters to thousands of patients. The government should allocate funds for child health and research, modernisation of the cardiology and maternity wings and trauma care in the hospital, he said.

The party would also support the general strike called by various trade unions to protest against liberlisation on Feb 28, he said.