CM Orders 231 New Substations Worth Rs 15,032 Crore, 15,058 New Linemen to Strengthen Power Grid

Press Release Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Thiru. C. Joseph Vijay directs, at a review meeting on the Energy Department, that 231 new substations worth Rs.15,032 crore be set up to strengthen Tamil Nadu's power infrastructure, that 15,058 electricity personnel required to rectify power faults be regularly recruited, that electrical stores and equipment be procured immediately, and that electricity staff be deployed on contract/outsourced work At a review meeting on the Energy Department held today (16.6.2026) at the Secretariat, chaired by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru. C. Joseph Vijay, a detailed review was conducted with TANGEDCO subsidiaries on power generation, power demand, power distribution and the development works being undertaken to strengthen the power infrastructure. Since power generation and procurement across Tamil Nadu are adequate, there is no power shortage in the State. However, occasional and localised power interruptions occur in some areas of urban regions, including Chennai, due to reasons such as ageing overhead cable rings, underground cable faults, increased power consumption, maintenance works, and accidental damage to power cables during road-digging works carried out by various utility departments. To find a permanent solution to such problems, projects worth around Rs.2,275 crore to upgrade the power distribution infrastructure are being implemented in the Chennai metropolitan area alone. Across the State, 121 new and upgraded substations are being set up at a cost of Rs.10,109 crore, and a further 231 new substations are planned to be built at an estimated cost of Rs.15,032 crore. To further improve power distribution services, 77 additional Fuse-Off Call centres, 7 additional fault-rectification teams, 125 fault-rectification vehicles, 10 high-level monitoring teams, and 2 underground cable fault-detection teams have been deployed. This is intended to ensure quicker resolution of public complaints. Further, public complaints are monitored round-the-clock through the Minnagam helpline (9498794987), social media and telephone, with immediate action taken. A WhatsApp service is also soon to be integrated with the complaint management system. The Government continues to plan and work towards meeting future power demand through renewable energy generation, Battery Energy Storage Systems, new thermal power stations, and hydro-power projects. The Government of Tamil Nadu is committed to providing the public with quality, reliable and uninterrupted power supply. Works to continuously strengthen the power distribution infrastructure are being undertaken swiftly. The public can obtain immediate service by reporting power faults in their areas through Minnagam service centres and official channels. At the meeting, the Hon'ble Chief Minister directed that complaints regarding power faults be acted upon and rectified without delay. He further ordered that the 15,058 electricity personnel required to rectify power faults be regularly recruited, that electrical stores and equipment be procured immediately, and that electricity staff be deployed on contract/outsourced work. With regard to Chennai, he directed that the existing 125 outsourced teams be deployed on patrol duty, that these teams attend to complaint locations for emergency works and take immediate action to rectify faults, and that TANGEDCO and its subsidiaries function in a disciplined manner to provide uninterrupted power supply to the public. The meeting was attended by the Hon'ble Minister for Energy and Law, Thiru. C.T.R. Nirmalkumar, Chief Secretary Dr. Mu. Saikumar, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary/Chairman, TANGEDCO, Thiru. Se. Padadhirushnan, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department, Thiru. Mu.A. Siddique, IAS, Principal Secretary, Energy Department, Thiru. Anil Meshram, IAS, Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Generation Corporation, Thiru. V. Govinda Rao, IAS, Managing Director, Green Energy Corporation, Thiru. P.N. Sridhar, IAS, and senior government officials. Issued by: Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9