Tamil Nadu approves 231 substations worth Rs 15,032 crore
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has approved the construction of 231 new substations at an estimated cost of Rs 15,032 crore as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s power distribution infrastructure and improve supply reliability.
The decision was taken during a review meeting of the energy department at the Secretariat. The Chief Minister also directed the recruitment of 15,058 power sector workers and instructed technical teams to intensify patrolling activities to reduce outages and address electricity-related complaints more effectively.
Power supply position
According to an official release, the review covered power generation, demand, distribution, and network-strengthening initiatives undertaken by Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) and its subsidiary companies.
The assessment found that Tamil Nadu has adequate power generation and procurement arrangements, resulting in no electricity shortage across the state. However, temporary localised outages have been reported in some urban areas, including Chennai.
The government attributed these disruptions to ageing equipment, underground cable faults, rising electricity demand, maintenance activities, and accidental cable damage caused by civic agencies during road excavation works.
Tamil Nadu currently supplies electricity to around 3.52 crore consumers through a network comprising 1,910 substations and more than 4.47 lakh transformers.
Distribution network measures
To strengthen consumer service and improve fault response, the government has established 77 new Fuse-Off Call (FOC) centres, deployed seven additional breakdown repair teams, added 125 repair vehicles, formed 10 high-level monitoring committees and set up two underground cable fault detection teams.
Recruitment drive
The recruitment of 15,058 power workers is intended to strengthen field operations and improve service delivery across the state.
The additional workforce will support faster rectification of electricity faults, quicker response to consumer complaints, reduced downtime during maintenance and emergencies, and improved reliability of the distribution network.
Energy and Law Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar has also announced plans to recruit 15,000 permanent employees to strengthen the workforce.
Infrastructure expansion
The planned addition of 231 substations represents one of the largest investments in Tamil Nadu’s distribution infrastructure.
The new substations are expected to increase power distribution capacity, reduce transmission and distribution losses, support growing industrial and residential demand, and improve grid stability and voltage management across the state.
The government said the measures form part of a broader strategy to modernise the power distribution network and improve electricity service reliability.
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