Tamil Nadu to blame for power crisis, Centre tells SC
The Hindu
Tamil Nadu is reeling under sever power crisis.
The Centre on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that Tamil Nadu has to
be blamed for the power crisis it is facing as it had not strengthened
the grid for receiving surplus power.
Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati, appearing for the Centre told a
three-Judge Bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justices S.S.
Nijjar and J. Chelameswar that as far as the power surrendered by the
NCT Delhi was concerned, in 2011 the Centre had tried to allocate Tamil
Nadu additional power. For this year, he said, according to the Union
Power Ministry every grid had certain capacity. The southern grid did
not have the capacity to receive the available surplus power.
Mr. Vahanvati said, “The Tamil Nadu government had not strengthened
enough the grid and the State itself is responsible for the power
crisis. Eight States are demanding a share in the surrendered power and
we will distribute it in a manner that each grid can withstand.”
Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, senior counsel Ranjit Kumar and Additional
Advocate General Subramonium Prasad wanted the court to issue a
direction to the Centre to keep aside the surrendered power, as
otherwise the whole suit filed by Tamil Nadu would become infructuous.
The AG replied that the surplus power could not be stored.
CJI told counsel for Tamil Nadu, “We are not experts in deciding the matter. We need technical details from an expert body.”
In a brief order, the Bench said, “Issue notice. On behalf of the Union
of India, there are certain difficulties expressed in providing power
straightway. With regard to the capacity of the southern grid to take
the load of excess power to be provided to Tamil Nadu, the Attorney
General is requested to file an affidavit indicating the reasons for
which the prayer of Tamil Nadu cannot be considered to a certain
extent.”
In the meantime, the Bench said since it concerned technical position,
the Central Electricity Authority should examine and submit a report to
the court. The Bench directed the matter to be listed for further
hearing on November 29.
In its application filed in the suit, Tamil Nadu sought a direction to
restrain the Centre from re-allocating the entire power surrendered by
the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, viz 230 MW of
round-the-clock power and 1491 MW power (available between midnight and 6
am) to any other State.
The State said, “It is the right of Tamil Nadu to demand for the
surrendered power to meet the extreme power shortage faced by the State.
Only the Union of India is empowered to reallocate the surrendered
power along with the transmission corridor which it has failed to do
so.”
It further said, “In the year 2012-13, due to the failure of South-West
monsoon the State is facing acute shortage of power. The people of Tamil
Nadu are reeling under massive power cuts, going up to 12 hours every
day.
It said, “Tamil Nadu apprehends that the Central government will
re-allocate the surrendered power to the other States, which are not as
stressed as Tamil Nadu is, and thereby deprive the State of Tamil Nadu
of its justified demand of re-allocation of the entire power surrendered
by the NCT of Delhi.”
Three Dalit colonies face wrath of mob fury in Dharmapuri
Remains of a gutted house at Natham Colony, near Naikkankottai village in Dharmapuri district. Photo: N. Bhakaran
Over 260 houses torched, police arrest 90 persons
Three colonies of Dalits (of the Adi-Dravida community) near
Naikkankottai in Dharmapuri district of western Tamil Nadu remained
benumbed on Thursday by the fury unleashed on them by a rampaging mob of
caste Hindus on Wednesday.
As many as 268 dwellings – huts, tiled-roof and one or two-room concrete
houses – were torched by the mob after a caste Hindu man, Nagarajan,
committed suicide over his daughter marrying a Dalit boy from one of the
colonies. Police said there was no casualty as occupants of the houses
escaped and took shelter in another village. Ninety persons were
arrested by Thursday evening and cases registered against another 500
“unidentified” persons.
The prime target of the attack was Natham Colony, whose resident,
Ilavarasan (23) had married N. Divya (20), a caste Hindu. But, the mob’s
fury was also directed at the adjoining Anna Nagar Colony and
Kondampatti Old and New Colonies.
It is said that Ilavarasan and Divya got married in a temple a month
ago. Fearing attack by caste Hindus, the couple approached the Deputy
Inspector of General of Police, Salem Range, Sanjay Kumar, only a week
ago for protection. Though the police assured them safety, a kangaroo
court directed Ilavarasan’s family to return the girl on Wednesday. The
girl refused to go with her father, who later hanged himself at his
house in Sellankottai, just half a km from the Dalit colonies. And then,
the mobs went on the rampage.
According to police, one group of incensed members of his community
protested on the Dharmapuri-Tiruppattur Road, blocking traffic with the
trees they felled as well as with boulders and signboards. At the same
time, another group entered the Dalit colonies and set ablaze the
dwellings. The Dalits alleged that their houses were looted and the
valuables taken away. The attack started around 4.45 p.m. and went on
till 7 p.m. Police reinforcements and fire tenders could not reach the
spot in time because of the hurdles placed on the road leading to the
colonies. Some vehicles of the Dalits too were torched. The mob fled
when police reinforcements arrived.
Superintendent of Police, Krishnagiri, M. Ashok Kumar, reached the spot
and took control of the situation, as Dharmapuri’s SP Asra Garg was away
in Madurai. Mr. Garg, however, reached the spot at night.
Police personnel drawn from five districts restored order. Fire tenders
put out the blaze in the colonies and recovery vans were deployed to
clear the road blocks.
A core police team headed by Mr. Sanjay Kumar worked out strategies to
keep the situation under control. Inspector-General of Police (West
Zone), visited the colonies on Thursday and supervised the security
arrangements and the investigation into the attack. Police said
Ilavarasan and Divya were safe and under police protection.
After spending the night in shock, fear and without shelter, close to
1,500 Dalits were on Thursday accommodated in Government schools.
District Collector R. Lilly visited the affected persons and ordered relief for them.
Remains of a gutted house at Natham Colony, near Naikkankottai village in Dharmapuri district. Photo: N. Bhakaran
Over 260 houses torched, police arrest 90 persons
Three colonies of Dalits (of the Adi-Dravida community) near
Naikkankottai in Dharmapuri district of western Tamil Nadu remained
benumbed on Thursday by the fury unleashed on them by a rampaging mob of
caste Hindus on Wednesday.
As many as 268 dwellings – huts, tiled-roof and one or two-room concrete
houses – were torched by the mob after a caste Hindu man, Nagarajan,
committed suicide over his daughter marrying a Dalit boy from one of the
colonies. Police said there was no casualty as occupants of the houses
escaped and took shelter in another village. Ninety persons were
arrested by Thursday evening and cases registered against another 500
“unidentified” persons.
The prime target of the attack was Natham Colony, whose resident,
Ilavarasan (23) had married N. Divya (20), a caste Hindu. But, the mob’s
fury was also directed at the adjoining Anna Nagar Colony and
Kondampatti Old and New Colonies.
It is said that Ilavarasan and Divya got married in a temple a month
ago. Fearing attack by caste Hindus, the couple approached the Deputy
Inspector of General of Police, Salem Range, Sanjay Kumar, only a week
ago for protection. Though the police assured them safety, a kangaroo
court directed Ilavarasan’s family to return the girl on Wednesday. The
girl refused to go with her father, who later hanged himself at his
house in Sellankottai, just half a km from the Dalit colonies. And then,
the mobs went on the rampage.
According to police, one group of incensed members of his community
protested on the Dharmapuri-Tiruppattur Road, blocking traffic with the
trees they felled as well as with boulders and signboards. At the same
time, another group entered the Dalit colonies and set ablaze the
dwellings. The Dalits alleged that their houses were looted and the
valuables taken away. The attack started around 4.45 p.m. and went on
till 7 p.m. Police reinforcements and fire tenders could not reach the
spot in time because of the hurdles placed on the road leading to the
colonies. Some vehicles of the Dalits too were torched. The mob fled
when police reinforcements arrived.
Superintendent of Police, Krishnagiri, M. Ashok Kumar, reached the spot
and took control of the situation, as Dharmapuri’s SP Asra Garg was away
in Madurai. Mr. Garg, however, reached the spot at night.
Police personnel drawn from five districts restored order. Fire tenders
put out the blaze in the colonies and recovery vans were deployed to
clear the road blocks.
A core police team headed by Mr. Sanjay Kumar worked out strategies to
keep the situation under control. Inspector-General of Police (West
Zone), visited the colonies on Thursday and supervised the security
arrangements and the investigation into the attack. Police said
Ilavarasan and Divya were safe and under police protection.
After spending the night in shock, fear and without shelter, close to
1,500 Dalits were on Thursday accommodated in Government schools.
District Collector R. Lilly visited the affected persons and ordered relief for them.
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