CHENNAI: Refuting recent allegations of corruption by DMK president MK Stalin, Electricity Minister P Thangamani on Thursday said the so called scam in the procurement of wind energy was a demand notice from Tangedco to a private company for utilising the State’s transmission infrastructure without paying the due wheeling charges.
Stalin in a recent statement alleged that a preliminary review of Tangedco’s audit team showed that 1.35 crore units of power was purchased from a company at a cost of `9.17 crore in November and December 2016. In reality, no wind power was generated by the company, said Stalin.
Responding to Stalin’s statement, the minister said a demand notice seeking `11 crores has been sent to the private company and three Tangedco officials have been suspended after their involvement came to light.
“It was Tangedco’s audit team which discovered about the power purchase between a private player and two other companies, Apollo and Sakthi Automobiles, for which wheeling charges to the tune of `9 crore was not paid to Tangedco” said the minister at a press meet on Thursday. Stating that the issue had been taken to court and an FIR was also filed against all three erring officers, Thangamani warned Stalin of taking the matter to court if the latter continues his ‘baseless and unfounded’ allegations.
On coal storage, the minister said the State had been receiving 16 rakes of coal every day for the past three days from the Centre.
Meanwhile, Stalin in a statement said that he has documents to prove the alleged `9.17 crore scam in Thoothukudi district. Slamming the AIADMK government and the electricity minister, Stalin said “The minister should know that I will not release a statement without having ample proof to substantiate my claims. Now that I have proof, will he resign from his post?”
Stalin said that the reason given by the minister that this matter was due to the fault of private companies not paying the wheeling charges to the state,is merely an excuse to cover up the alleged scam.“If this matter involves only private parties, then why did Thoothukudi Tangedco official write a letter saying that power was generated in a plant that was not functioning?. All these are methods to cover up the truth” said a statement released by Stalin.