Tamil Nadu to set up 231 substations at ₹15,032 crore amid power woes

TAmil Nadu testament found 231 young substations at an outlay of ₹15,032 crore to augment the tell’s power infrastructure, the government said on Tuesday.Chief minister C Joseph Vijay, who chaired a review meeting of the energy department at the Secretariat, issued key directives including the recruitment of 15,058 workers to address power supply-related issues and the procurement of electricity-related materials to boost capacity.The move comes in the wake of frequent power cuts that have plagued the state over the last few weeks, drawing sharp criticism from opposition parties, including the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).In an official release, the government maintained that there was no power shortage in the state, as power generation and electricity procurement across Tamil Nadu were adequate.“However, localised and occasional power disruptions occur in a few places in urban areas, including Chennai. This is due to ageing distribution transformers, underground cable faults, increased electricity consumption, maintenance works, and unexpected damage caused to power cables during road-digging works by various other service departments,” the release said.To find a permanent solution to these issues, infrastructure development projects worth approximately ₹2,275 crore are slated to be implemented in Chennai alone, the government said.Across the state, 121 new and upgraded substations are currently being set up at a cost of ₹10,109 crore. Furthermore, plans have been drawn up to establish an additional 231 new substations at an estimated cost of ₹15,032 crore, the release said.Observing that the government is actively working to meet future electricity demand through renewable energy generation, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and new thermal power stations, the release said: “The government is committed to providing quality, reliable, and uninterrupted electricity to the people.”During the meeting, the chief minister directed officials to take immediate action on complaints regarding power faults and rectify them promptly.He also ordered the formal recruitment of 15,058 electricity workers required to rectify power defects, the immediate procurement of electricity-related materials and the deployment of electricity workers on patrolling duties.Regarding Chennai, the chief minister instructed that the existing 125 patrolling teams must be engaged in continuous rounds.These teams must immediately rush to locations from which complaints are received to carry out emergency repair works and fix faults. He further advised TANGEDCO (Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd) and its subsidiary companies to work efficiently to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the public, the release added.Recently, electricity minister C T R Nirmal Kumar blamed “deliberate sabotage” for the frequent power outages in the city and suburbs, claiming some people intentionally pulled fuses or caused blackouts to incite public protest.Officials were assessing the frequency and location of power failures to detect suspicious and repetitive patterns that suggested “deliberate sabotage” rather than technical issues, he said.AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said unannounced power outages, combined with extreme summer temperatures soaring to 40 degrees Celsius, were causing widespread distress across Tamil Nadu and pushing the state towards “darkness”.He had lashed out at the Tamil Nadu government for failing to plan power generation, procurement and the setting up of new substations as demand peaks during summer.The Central Electricity Authority has estimated that Tamil Nadu’s electricity demand will reach 23,013 MW in 2026-27, highlighting the critical need for adequate infrastructure.