TN Minister releases TNEB White Paper, rules out power tariff hike

TN Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar released a White Paper on TNEB's finances and operations. He assured there would be no electricity tariff hike this year and that the free power scheme for farmers will continue. Smart meters are planned for govt buildings.

Tamil Nadu Minister for Energy Resources and Law, CTR Nirmal Kumar, on Thursday released a detailed White Paper statement on the infrastructure, finances, human resources, logistics and materials, ongoing project works, revenue, and expenditure of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB), The Minister was questioned about current procurement updates in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, where he said that he will release a white paper in two days.

No Tariff Hike, Free Power for Farmers to Continue

Addressing the gathering, CTR Nirmal Kumar said that there will be no tariff hike by Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). He said, "This year, there will be no tariff hike by Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). We will not sign any order for tariff hike by TNEB this year in Tamil Nadu."

"Free electricity scheme for farmers will continue," the minister added.

Smart Meter Project Update

Addressing the concerns over the smart meter project, he said that they will be fixing them in government buildings. However, no decision has been made to install smart meters in houses. Nirmal Kumar said, "We have a compulsion to fix it in government buildings alone. We have not made any decision till now to fix smart meters in houses. We are thinking of doing a test process on it, and we have not taken any policy decision to fix smart meters in homes in our state."

In an X post, Nirmal Kumar said that the white paper will serve as a key document for growth in the power sector. "Tamil Nadu Electricity Department Releases White Paper. This white paper will serve as a key document for the growth of the power sector, transparency, and future advancements," the TVK leader posted.

Tamil Nadu's Fiscal Health

Earlier on June 16, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Marie Wilson released a White Paper regarding the state's fiscal position. Tamil Nadu's debt burden has increased over the past five years, with the state's debt-to-GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) ratio reaching 28.3 per cent in 2025-26 (Revised Estimates), according to figures released in the fiscal white paper. (ANI)

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