CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu electricity and law minister R Nirmalkumar on Thursday said that they have identified yet another malpractice in Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation (TNPDCL) in connection with procurement of conductors (overhead and underground cables used in the transmission and distribution network) during the previous DMK govt.“It is similar to the fraud committed in purchase of transformers, regarding which Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case for further investigation,” he said, after releasing the white paper on Tamil Nadu Electricity Board’s present financial status.“An internal inquiry has been ordered into the discrepancies and a case will be registered for further investigation. All nine tenders were in a similar pattern, which we identified while looking for discrepancies in tenders floated in the past,” he added.While Nirmalkumar did not divulge details of the alleged malpractice, CBI, Chennai, had recently registered a case to probe alleged corruption in tenders floated for the supply of distribution transformers with capacities ranging from 25 KVA up to 500 KVA between 2021 and 2023.The case was registered based on the complaint of Arappor Iyakkam which analysed 10 tenders floated by the then Tangedco to procure more than 45,000 transformers at a cost of Rs 1,182 crore and said more than 25 bidders quoted the same price in contravention of the provisions of the Tender Transparency Act. It added that 500kVa transformers were purchased at the escalated cost of Rs 12.50 lakh, at least Rs 5 lakh more than the prevailing market price during the period.
