‘TN, Tangedco must explain why consumers should link Aadhaar’

CHENNAI: With several changes being made in the Aadhaar linking process, the trade unions have urged the utility to come clean on the need for linking Aadhaar with domestic and agricultural service connections and the benefits it going to get. for the latter.

In a letter to the Tangedco CMD, the Joint Action Committee of the TNEB Trade Unions said that contradictory statements made by the Electricity Minister, Tangedco and oral instructions given with regard to the Aadhaar linkage have created confusion.

"The Electricity Minister told reporters that house owners linking their Aadhaar with the domestic electricity connection would be the best. However, Tangedco allowed the tenants to link their Aadhaar. Oral instructions were given that if the same family members live in separate portions of a house should have a separate ration card. This has led to lots of confusion," the letter signed by 15 trade unions, including AIADMK's Anna Thozhirsangam and CITU's Central Organisation of Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees said.

Tangedco took up the process of linking Aadhaar with the consumers availing subsidised power supply like domestic, agricultural, huts, handloom and power loom after the state government issued an order in this regard.

"Neither the government nor the Tangedco has replied to why the Aadhaar is being linked with the electricity connection. Field workers and officials of Tangedco were not able to clear the doubts of consumers. Even though it is a policy decision of the government, both the utility and the government have the responsibility to tell the reasons to the public," it said.

The trade unions accused the management of non-planning leading to the field workers being made to visit door-to-door again and again for the Aadhaar linking which is creating strong opposition against the government.

They said the workers were unnecessarily being pressurised to complete a task like linking the Aadhaar of 2.5 crore consumers in a short time as if an emergency power restoration works.