Chennai, Oct 27 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu government Saturday decided to approach the Supreme Court with a petition to direct the central government to facilitate transmission of power contracted by Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd (TANGEDCO), and to allocate the power surrendered by the Delhi government to it.

A resolution to this effect was passed at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa here at the state secretariat.

According to the resolution, the power demand in the state is around 12,000 MW, while it is able to get only 8,000 MW. There are thus prolonged power cuts.

In order to tide over the supply shortage, TANGEDCO has entered into contract to purchase 1,100 MW from other states. Since the Power Grid Corporation has not taken action to provide the transmission corridor, the state was not able to get the contracted power.

The resolution also refers to Jayalalithaa's letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to allocate the 1,721 MW power surrendered by the Delhi government to Tamil Nadu.

Citing the congestion in the transmission corridor, the Union Minister of State for Power K.C.Venugopal Oct 25 told reporters that it is not possible to allocate the 1,721 MW power surrendered by the Delhi government to Tamil Nadu, the resolution adds.

According to the resolution, Article 131 of the Indian Constitution provides that centre or states could approach the Supreme Court to settle disputes between them and hence the cabinet has decided to approach the apex court.

On Friday, Jayalalithaa squarely blamed the earlier DMK government in the state and the Congress government at the centre for the present acute power crisis in Tamil Nadu.

Jayalalithaa said that in 2006, when the AIADMK lost power in the state, there was surplus power. But the succeeding DMK government did not implement schemes started by her government.

With demand for power increasing in the state, the DMK government, instead of starting new power projects, purchased power at high cost. That in turn resulted in the state electricity board incurring a huge loss of Rs. 40,375 crore, she said.

Blaming the central government too, Jayalalithaa said that though her government contracted to source 500 MW from Gujarat, it was able to get only 235 MW owing to congestion in the transmission corridor.

Another contract for purchase of 1,100 MW was entered into, but owing again to congestion in the transmission corridor, only 85 MW is being obtained.

She said it was the responsibility of the central government to set up transmission corridors. She blamed the central government for ignoring the needs for such corridors for the southern states.