No power shortage in TN, certain individuals 'sabotaging' supply: Minister

Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister R Nirmal Kumar on Sunday firmly denied allegations of any power shortage in the state, attributing recent power outages to deliberate acts of sabotage instigated by certain individuals.Speaking to reporters here, the minister claimed that 99 per cent of the departments workforce is performing exceptionally well, but a microscopic minority of black sheep is undermining the governments efforts.There is absolutely no shortage of electricity in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister R Nirmal Kumar on Sunday firmly denied allegations of any power shortage in the state, attributing recent power outages to deliberate acts of ''sabotage'' instigated by ''certain individuals''.

Speaking to reporters here, the minister claimed that 99 per cent of the department's workforce is performing exceptionally well, but a microscopic minority of ''black sheep'' is undermining the government's efforts.

''There is absolutely no shortage of electricity in Tamil Nadu. The rumours regarding a power deficit are baseless. It has come to light that certain individuals are disrupting the power supply, acting under the instigation of vested interests. We are actively investigating and rectifying these issues,'' Kumar said.

Admitting that the state's power infrastructure requires major overhaul, he alleged that the department had been systematically neglected for the past two decades.

''The Tamil Nadu electricity department has been lagging and is in a dilapidated state for the last 20 years. The previous regimes have squeezed out and exhausted all resources from this institution. While complete restructuring and transformation might take a few years, I assure you that visible, step-by-step improvements will be seen on a daily basis very soon,'' Kumar asserted.

The minister's remarks come amidst sharp criticism from the opposition and reports over power cuts. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami had earlier demanded immediate war-footing measures to address the blackouts, warning the ruling administration not to hide behind the excuse of being new to governance.

Responding to queries about internal disciplinary action, Kumar added that the department is thoroughly validating the conduct of the suspected one per cent of employees who are believed to be acting as ''black sheep'' to tarnish the state's administration.