Substation announced at Kangavallipuram seven years ago remains only on paper

Locals claim that following frequent complaints by revenue officials and elected legislators, the late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had announced in the State assembly under Section 110 that a new power substation would be set up for residents of Tiruvallur district at Kangavallipuram area with a capacity of 230 KW. Even a land was identified for the purpose.

“However, that project never took off due to apathy of officials,” said Mohan Rao, a social activist and resident of Pandur village in Tiruvallur. He said that residents of Poondi panchayat and surrounding areas, who are the worst sufferers, continue to receive power from Ramancherry substation constructed more than 60 years ago. “Due to the bad condition of the substation, we have been suffering for many years and efforts taken by Tangedco are just patch work and not a solution.”

According to district officials, around 70 acres of poramboke land was identified by the State government in Kangavallipuram for constructing police quarters, a recruitment school besides the substation and a warehouse. “The police quarters were constructed and inaugurated by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in January 2019 but no work has started on the substation yet,” said a resident of Kangavallipuram. “More than 300 villages across the district will be benefited if the substation becomes functional,” he added.

When contacted, local MLA VG Rajendran said that he had even raised the issue in the State assembly in 2017 to no effect. “Six months ago, I again raised this issue in the Assembly when EB minister Thangamani said that efforts were being taken to build the substation and assured that this project would be completed soon. But so far there has been no progress. The substation will solve power issues across the district,” he said.

Tangedco Executive Engineer, Tiruvallur district, Moorthy said the land which had been identified was not handed over to their Department yet. “It is still with the Revenue Department even after we paid Rs 80 lakh for acquiring the piece of land,” he added.

Tiruvallur district officials explained that government allotted land (meykal poramboke) was usually given to the Animal Husbandry Department. “Therefore, an alternative land needs to be acquired for substation. We are working towards it,” said a senior revenue official.

Tiruvallur district collector R Maheshwari, said that the project was progressing. “We are working towards fulfilling the State government’s assurance. Now that police quarters and recruitment school have been completed, substation work will commence in the second phase,” she said.