2.38 Lakh Tonnes Of Coal Missing From North Chennai Thermal Power Station: Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister

Similar investigations are underway at Thoothukudi and Mettur power plants and an initial report would be made ready soon

Electricity Minister Senthil Balaji (File Photo)

Chennai: About 2.38 lakh tonnes of coal were found to be missing from TANGEDCO’s North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS) at Athipattu in Tiruvallur district, said Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji on Friday. The value of the missing coal is Rs 85 crore.

According to a report from The Hindu, the minister had informed reporters that the preliminary investigation has revealed that 2.38 lakh tonnes of coal which was available as per the books, was missing from the stock. Further investigation will be conducted to figure out how it has gone missing and the guilty will be punished, he added. 

Pointing out that the previous government had not done any maintenance work at the power stations in the last nine months, he said that no equipment for maintenance was purchased at NCTPS in the last three years.

Quoting the minister, the report said that similar investigations are underway at Thoothukudi and Mettur power plants. An initial report would be made ready soon. 

Senthil Balaji, according to the report, said that the DMK government would be transparent and information related to the Electricity department will be available online.

Quoting the minister the report further said that the electricity department had identified faulty transformers in all 234 constituencies and works have been carried out to replace 8,900 transformers at the cost of Rs 625 crores. 

According to IANS, the 2018-19 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report which was tabled in the assembly has revealed that TANGEDCO has suffered an excess loss of Rs 4,862 crore in the last fiscal year.

(With inputs from IANS)