Media Apologists!

Ever since the ADMK returned to power in the month of May last year, an incapable Chief Minister Jayalalitha was crying wolf over power shortage in the state and blaming the previous DMK rule of failing to start any new power projects during its tenure to meet the growing power needs of the state and thus causing power cut. Both Tamil and English dailies were dutifully publishing widely her canards without, either willfully or not, bothering to recollect the new power projects started during the previous five years, thus willingly or unwillingly, helping her to mislead people.
But as the duration of power cut was increasing day by day reaching an unprecedented level of 16-18 hours a day, people were no more gullible to the Goebbelsian propaganda of the Jaya regime ‘ably’ assisted by the media in the state. Then came a short spell of her blaming the Centre and filing petitions in the Supreme Court against the UPA government, once again the media playing second fiddle to her attempt to divert the anger of people against her incapacity. But this attempt of her also did not last long and ended in a fiasco!
No more the regime and its media apologists could cover up truth of its total failure on the power front. Now, they had to assuage the agitated masses and give some hopes of early redress. Unable to conceal ‘a full pumpkin with a handful of rice’, the ADMK regime was forced to disclose the power projects started during the previous DMK rule which are to generate electricity in the coming days and substantially bring down power shortage. Still unwary of collaboration in false propaganda, the media in Tamil Nadu continues its subservience to the Jaya regime!
The following report appeared in all English dailies last week:
“In a matter of 12 months, the State power sector’s capacity is to go up by about 3,230 megawatt (MW).
Of this, 1,800 MW is to come from three additional units of the State Sector projects, of which two are being set up at the North Chennai Thermal Power Station and one at Mettur. About 1,428 MW will be contributed by two joint venture projects.
This was indicated by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) in its petition filed before the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) as a sequel to the order of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on the issue of equitable power distribution pattern in the State.”
Additionally, in over-enthusiasm, one daily added the following additional information to give a sigh of hope to the people:
“The status on capacity addition does not include the commissioning of the first unit (1,000 MW) of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, for which the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) on Thursday (Dec.6) gave its clearance for the second heat-up.
According to the website of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NCPIL), the first unit is expected to reach the stage of commercial operation this month and the second unit by July next. Tamil Nadu’s share from the two units is 925 MW. A report from New Delhi pointed to the likelihood of the first unit kicking off by the end of this month during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India.
On an average, the State is facing a deficit of about 4,000 MW.  If all the projects, including Kudankulam, were commissioned as per the revised plan, there are chances of overcoming the shortage totally. “
While appreciating the strain the daily had taken to navigate website to give the latest information on Kudankulam nuclear power project, the fact that cannot be slighted is that it had conveniently overlooked the delay by more than one year caused by Jayalalitha for commissioning of power generation from the project, by thoughtlessly supporting the protestors there and demanding the Centre to put on hold works in it. The nasty opportunist game played by her is fresh in the memory of even not well-informed people, but the elitist daily seem to feign forgetfulness!
When they willingly cover up developments in less than one year, it is not surprising that they did not care to even to go through their own files and find out when and by whom the power projects that have been indicated by the ADMK regime of pushing up the State power sector’s capacity by about 3,230 MW in a matter of 12 months, were stated. And there lies their collaborative role!
The three additional units of the State sector projects of which two are being set up at the North Chennai Thermal Power Station and one at Mettur were started by the DMK government :the  two 600 MW  capacity each projects  in North Chennai were started at estimated costs of Rs.2,475 crore each on 14.7.2008 whose generation of power should have started in September 2011 and August 2011 respectively. The 600 MW capacity project in Mettur Thermal Power station started at an estimated cost of Rs.3,100 crore was started on 2.5.2007 and it should have come into operation in July 2011. But  although these projects were ready to start generation they were halted because of the lackadaisical attitude of this regime whose District Collectors of Tiruvallur and Tirupur issued orders staying the construction of only a few towers for transmission and vacated by Madras High Court only recently.
Two joint venture projects of 1,428 MW capacity that will contribute to the State power sector’s capacity are Vallur and Tuticorin thermal power stations which were also started by the previous DMK rule. The works for units 1 and 2 of Vallur Thermal Power Station at an estimated cost of Rs.8,000 were started on 13.8.2007 during DMK rule and works for the third station on 28.7.2009. The boiler for unit one was installed and installation of turbine was going on. Other than key electricity machinery the works for installing other machineries was carried out for the other two units.
The tender for buying key mechanical devices for unit 3 had been given to BHEL and works were going on. Units 1,2 and 3 should have been linked to the grid in August 2011, October 2011 and September 2012 respectively and planned to bring into operation in October 2011, December 2011 and November 2012.
For Tuticorin Thermal Project the tender for key mechanisms were awarded to BHEL on 28.1.2009 during DMK rule. It was expected to come into operation in August 2012. The Rs.8,700 crore Udangudi Thermal Power project’s first unit will come into operation in March 2013, and second unit in September 2013.
So, during the DMK rule future needs were assessed, project reports were prepared and in consideration of regulation for bringing into operation when the projects reached generation stage, ADMK has come to power.
These facts are concealed by the ADMK regime which the media in Tamil Nadu is not inclined to disclose to the people.
The call is not even for media ethics but rendering justice to the readers of these dailies who keep afloat their circulations. Let their loyalty be to their readers and not to the present regime!