Tamil Nadu CM Vijay orders establishment of 231 new electricity substations at ₹15,032 crore

To further strengthen Tamil Nadu’s power infrastructure, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, on Tuesday (June 16, 2026), ordered the establishment of 231 new substations at a cost of ₹15,032 crore and the appointment of 15,058 workers to carry out maintenance and repair works.

The Chief Minister also ordered the immediate procurement of electrical equipment and materials and the deployment of personnel for regular patrol duties.

On Tuesday, Mr. Vijay chaired a review meeting at the Secretariat in Chennai on the functioning of the Energy Resources Department. According to an official release, Tamil Nadu has sufficient power in terms of both generation and procurement, and therefore there is no power shortage.

“However, power interruptions in some urban areas, including Chennai, are due to factors such as aging electrical infrastructure, underground cable faults, increased electricity consumption, maintenance works, and accidental damage to power cables during road excavation by various agencies,” the release said.

To provide a permanent solution to these issues, projects worth ₹2,275 crore will be implemented in Chennai. A total of 121 new substations are currently being established at a cost of ₹10,109 crore. In addition, 231 new substations are planned to be established at a cost of ₹15,032 crore.

To further improve electricity distribution services, 77 Fuse-Off Call (FOC) centres, seven additional repair teams, 125 electricity repair vehicles, 10 high-level monitoring teams, and two underground cable fault-detection units have been deployed, the release said.

Complaint service system

Further, complaints from the public are monitored round the clock through Minnagam via telephone and social media platforms, and immediate action is taken. A WhatsApp-based complaint service will soon be integrated with the complaint management system, the release said.

The State government is planning for future power requirements through renewable energy generation, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), new thermal power stations, and hydroelectric projects, the release said.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister instructed officials to take immediate action on power outage complaints and directed that 15,058 workers be appointed for repair and maintenance activities.

Minister for Energy Resources and Law R. Nirmalkumar, Chief Secretary M. Saikumar, Additional Chief Secretary and Chairman of TNPDCL J. Radhakrishnan, and Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) M.A. Siddique were among those present.