No intention whatsoever of raising electricity charges: TN Minister Nirmalkumar

Tamil Nadu Minister R Nirmalkumar on Thursday dismissed the possibility of any increase in electricity charges in the State.

On his first day in office, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay signed three files, one of which approved a scheme granting 200 units of free electricity to domestic consumers with a bi-monthly consumption of up to 500 units.

When asked whether the state government plans to increase power tariffs, the Energy Resources Minister told reporters, ''The government has no intention whatsoever of raising them. False information is being circulated in this regard. Neither the government nor the CM has any intention at this time of increasing electricity charges.''.

After conducting a detailed review of the functioning of the State electricity distribution corporation, he said it is currently burdened with a debt of nearly 2.5 lakh crore rupees.

''Moreover, there is a severe staff shortage in the corporation. Against the required 1.4 lakh employees, only 70,000 are currently working. This manpower deficit persists,'' he said.

The minister added, ''As the CM has pledged, this department will be dedicated entirely to public service, free from irregularities, malpractices, and corruption. We have been working tirelessly over the past few days, sitting together to carry out the necessary tasks continuously.

Two senior officials from Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited were suspended following allegations of irregularities in approvals of TNGECL.

The irregularities were detected during a series of review meetings chaired by Nirmalkumar.

He said that whether the wrongdoing involves a former minister or their predecessor, appropriate action will be taken irrespective of who is responsible, adding that all necessary legal measures will be implemented.

The minister further stated that there would be no leniency or favouritism in this regard, regardless of who is responsible, especially in cases involving public funds or government assets.

Regarding solar panel investments, Nirmalkumar said, ''For anyone wishing to invest in solar panels from outside, a transparent system with a clear framework will be established. No one will be able to secure approvals through informal means, such as submitting requests on slips of paper.''.

He added that a dedicated portal will be developed soon.

''Once the portal is launched, anyone will be able to apply through it. If an investor meets the required eligibility criteria, their application will be approved in a completely transparent manner,'' Nirmalkumar said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)