Power Outages Not Due to Shortage, Says Minister
Minister for Energy Resources and Law R. Nirmalkumar has attributed the recent power cuts in Chennai and other districts to load issues, rather than a shortage of power supply. He stated that the Electricity Department is taking prompt measures to address these issues, which have been exacerbated by a sudden peak in power demand during the summer season.
Financial Distress and Reforms
The Electricity Department is currently facing severe financial distress, with outstanding debt amounting to ₹2.5 lakh crore over the last 20 years. To address this, reforms are being implemented, which may take a few months to come into effect. Meanwhile, the department is functioning with a reduced workforce of 70,000 employees, despite a sanctioned strength of 1.4 lakh.
To improve the situation, seven rapid response teams of engineers have been constituted in Chennai, equipped with vehicles to quickly respond to and rectify complaints. Call centres have also been activated, with 300 employees working round the clock to receive and forward complaints to the respective teams.
- Old transformers and cable networks are being replaced to prevent power cuts.
- Substations are being inspected to identify and rectify technical issues promptly.
- Measures are being taken to streamline the processing of applications, approval procedures, and the installation of solar panels.
Minister Nirmalkumar also warned that action would be taken against individuals found to be causing power cuts in certain areas. The Chief Minister, C. Joseph Vijay, is closely monitoring developments in the Electricity Department, and several crores worth of tenders have been cancelled and revalidated to address administrative discrepancies.
Source: Original Article
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