Chennai: The scheme to install smart electricity meters in homes (domestic consumers) across Tamil Nadu was announced in the previous AIADMK regime. Adani Group set the lowest price in the tender at that time as the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board took steps to award the tender to the group. But now, an international tender was issued to implement it in the present DMK regime in August 2023.
But the Arappor Iyakkam (Arappor movement) has been continuously alleging that there has been malpractice in this tender and also has published purported evidence for the same. In this situation, it has been reported that the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has cancelled the international tender for the procurement of smart meters.
Meanwhile, in the information released by the Arappor movement on its X page, "All the news came out that they are going to give tender to Adani Group. Questions were raised about whether it is true. Now the smart meter tenders have been cancelled. This is why people's questions are very important. Next, we will continue our questions to file an FIR in the coal import scam. Let's ask to reduce our EB bill. Let's meet on January 5th at 9:30 AM at Valluvar Kottam."
அதானிக்கு டெண்டர் கொடுக்கப் போவதாக செய்திகள் எல்லாம் வெளிவந்தது. உண்மையா என்ற கேள்விகள் எழுப்பப்பட்டது. தற்பொழுது ஸ்மார்ட் மீட்டர் டெண்டர்கள் ரத்து செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. மக்களின் கேள்விக்கணைகள் இதனால் தான் மிக முக்கியமானது. அடுத்து நிலக்கரி இறக்குமதி ஊழலில் FIR போட தொடர்வோம் நம்… pic.twitter.com/bD5zc5ugio
— Arappor Iyakkam (@Arappor) December 31, 2024
It is to be noted that the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has announced that the tender is being cancelled while Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and Arappor Movement have accused the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board is trying to buy smart reading meters from Adani group at a high price.
Notably, a tender was floated during the AIADMK rule for private maintenance of sub-stations in the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. The DMK, which was the opposition party at that time, held various protests and continued to insist that public sector companies should not be handed over to private parties.
Moreover, M K Stalin, who was the leader of the opposition at that time, submitted a petition directly to the Governor of Tamil Nadu, and alleged that there had been irregularities in the coal import for TNEB.
