Tamil Nadu launches monitoring teams 125 patrol vehicles

The Tamil Nadu government has launched an emergency response initiative, deploying monitoring teams and patrol vehicles across the state, following a wave of public protests over prolonged and recurring power outages in Chennai and its suburbs. The move was announced on Wednesday, June 10, after a high-level review meeting chaired by Electricity Minister C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar.

The initiative includes establishing specialized monitoring teams in all districts and deploying 125 power restoration patrol vehicles to accelerate repairs. The teams are tasked with quickly identifying and repairing faults, coordinating between different wings of the power sector, and overseeing consumer grievance redressal. To expedite urgent maintenance work, contingency financial allowances have been sanctioned for engineers at various levels, ranging up to 100,000 rupees for chief engineers.

This response comes after days of escalating public anger. On the night of Monday, June 8, widespread outages lasting into the early hours of Tuesday triggered protests outside electricity board offices in numerous neighborhoods, including Arumbakkam, Madipakkam, Ambattur, and Velachery. Residents, some staging...