Power cuts caused by load issues, not shortage, says Minister R. Nirmalkumar

Minister for Energy Resources and Law R. Nirmalkumar on Saturday said that the recent power outages in some parts of Chennai and other areas were due to load problems and the Ministry of Power had taken immediate measures to resolve these problems.

There were no power outages and there was a sudden peak in electricity demand during the summer months, he told reporters. He also said that the ministry was under serious financial stress and that reforms were being implemented in the Electricity Department, which may take several months.

Mr. Nirmalkumar said the Electricity Department has formed seven rapid response teams of engineers in Chennai and they have been provided with vehicles to quickly reach the points and redress complaints. He said officials have been instructed to inspect substations to find and fix any technical problems immediately.

Call centers have been put into operation with a staff of 300 people, and complaints are received 24 hours a day and forwarded to the relevant teams to be resolved as soon as possible. There were several old transformers and cable networks that needed to be replaced.

Mr. Nirmalkumar also said that power outages in some places were caused by certain people and action will be taken against them. He said that in the last 20 years, the Ministry of Power has been under severe financial distress due to outstanding debt of Rs 2.5 lakh crore. “Of the total sanctioned power of 1.4 lakh, the Electricity Department is working with only 70,000 employees,” he said.

He said that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay is closely following the developments in the Ministry of Electricity. He also said measures have been taken to facilitate the processing of applications, approval procedures and installation of solar panels. Tender worth several billions were canceled and reconfirmed to resolve administrative inconsistencies.