CHENNAI: DMK on Thursday opposed the Electricity (Amendment) Bill moved by the Centre and sought support from chief ministers to protect states’ rights.
Party president M K Stalin wrote letters to chief ministers in non-BJP ruled states urging them to oppose the Centre’s bill.
He said the BJP-led government can not step into the states’ legislative power and breach the principles of federalism enshrined in the Constitution. “It does not bode well for a healthy Centre-state relationship. This centralisation of state agencies only to privatise electricity later is totally unacceptable,” Stalin said.
He recalled past protests by farmers which led to provision of free power. “Championing their cause, in 1990 late DMK chief M Karunanidhi announced ‘free power supply for all farmers’ policy, the first of its kind in the nation’s history that guaranteed our farmers their rightful welfare. This policy was a key pillar of economic growth in Tamil Nadu since then, protecting lakhs of farmers while also controlling food inflation,” he pointed out.
