CHENNAI: Blaming the Centre for creating obstacles to electricity generation projects in Tamil Nadu like the 500-MW Kundah Hydro Power Project, Electricity Minister Natham R Viswanathan on Thursday told the Assembly that the Union Government had also declined requests for funds and coal allocation. Replying to the debate on the Demand for Grant to his department, Viswanathan said Tamil Nadu had been trying to set up the Kundah project but it has been put on hold by the Central Water Commission which is of the view that it is an inter-State project. Stressing that the scheme did not involve any other State he pointed out that the project site was well within Tamil Nadu. “This is not fair. How can they deny permission? The Centre is meting out stepmotherly treatment to Tamil Nadu.”The Hogenakkal 1150-MW Hydro Power Project too has been put on the back burner due to Karnataka’s non-acceptance. He noted, “Despite demands for 1000 MW power from the Centre, we have been given just 100 MW.” Hitting out at the DMK for its accusation against previous AIADMK regimes on electricity capacity addition, he reeled out statistics to substantiate that it was his party that ensured capacity addition. He said the Cheyyur Ultra Mega Power Project, among others, remained non-starters during the DMK regime.
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