Chennai
“When we were verifying the coal stock in the thermal power stations as of March this year, we found a mismatch of 2.38 lakh tonnes of coal in the records and actual stock at the power station. It is only a preliminary investigation,” he told reporters after inspection at the North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS).
The Minister added that the disappearance of the coal stock was confirmed after an enquiry by a team of senior Tangedco officials comprising directors of Generation and Distribution and the Chief Financial Controller. “The team will fully investigate how the irregularities occurred and who is responsible for it,” he said, adding that the stocks in Thoothukudi and Mettur thermal power plants will also be reviewed soon.
To a query on thermal power plants shut down, he said that like two-wheelers and cars, the thermal power plants do require to be shut down for maintenance periodically. “NCTPS officials told me that they were not given new spare parts for the maintenance work,” he noted. He quipped that the new government was handed over the Electricity Department, which was due to failure owing to non-maintenance. “We have identified a need to replace and erect 8,900 transformers across TN at Rs 625 crore. A transformer can supply power to 250 houses, but the connections were given to 350 houses, thus leading to voltage variation and outages. We will erect new transformers in three months,” he added.
Missing stock discovered during AIADMK regime: Thangamani
Former Electricity Minister P Thangamani on Friday said that the issue of missing coal at NCTPS was unearthed during the AIADMK regime itself. “It is nothing new. When there was a shortage in coal, an audit by the AIADMK government then revealed the missing of 2.38 lakh tonnes from the stock. Electricity Minister V Senthilbalaji has announced it now,” he said to media in Namakkal.
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