PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday said that though the State government has said that steps have been taken to purchase 2000 MW of power to reduce power cuts, there has been no progress on the ground.

In a statement, he pointed to an incident wherein Revenue minister K.A. Sengottaiyan had to give a media interview with the help of a mobile phone torch due to a sudden power cut in Vellore and said it illustrated how unannounced power cuts have become a norm across the State.

“Tamil Nadu's power demand, which reached a peak of 20,500 MW–21,000 MW during the summer, continues to remain at the same level even now because temperatures have not come down. This is 4,000 MW higher compared to September last year. The reason for the power cuts is that the Tamil Nadu government has not made adequate arrangements for electricity to meet this additional demand,” he said.

He added, “People have been holding protests against the power cuts being implemented everywhere from Chennai to the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. However, the power cuts have still not been withdrawn. Normally, officials ensure that power cuts do not occur in areas where ministers are participating in programmes. But if power supply is being disrupted despite the efforts of officials, it means that there is a shortage of electricity that is beyond their ability to manage.”