Rs 11K crore investment to flow into Tamil Nadu in 3 years

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will get Rs11,000 crore as investments from the Centre in the next three years towards improving energy efficiency, said Union minister Piyush Goyal, here on Monday. Speaking to the media after an internal review meeting with Tangedco officials and Electricity Minister P Thangamani, Goyal said, “After joining the UDAY scheme, Tamil Nadu’s losses have come down from 13,985 crore in 2013-2014 to 3,783 crore in 2016-2017.”
He said that there were plans to allocate a separate domestic coal block for the Cheyyur ulra mega power project while there were earlier plans to import the fuel source for the 4000 MW plant. He went on to say that the focus would also be on installation of solar agricultural pumps and on doubling the transmission capacity of the State in the next two years.

Calling Tamil Nadu a power surplus State, he added that the GST would further help in decreasing coal procurement costs. “From the coal procured through Neyveli Lignite Corporation alone, Tangedco has saved `508.54 crore after the introduction of the GST,” Goyal said.

The Minister later visited the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI) where, after inaugurating the institute’s new library, he spoke at length about the merits of the GST.
He urged the gathering to ensure that the input credits were passed on to consumers and to ensure that profiteering did not take place.

‘No N-power to states opposing N-projects’

Union minister Piyush Goyal, in a controversial statement, said states that were against setting up nuclear power projects in their territory should not be able to get nuclear power from other states. “It is a fair demand from Tamil Nadu to seek the entire 2,000 MW power from two units of Kudankulam. However, states that are against nuclear projects must not be able to get nuclear power from other states,” he said. Ironically, a few hours after he made the comment, he told a gathering at ICAI in Egmore that the GST had reinforced the federal structure of the country.

Source:IE