Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister C T R Nirmal Kumar on Thursday informed that a police probe into the theft of 18 hard disks from the TNEB headquarters here was on and that a few persons were secured for questioning.
The police was investigating on a possible connivance of department staff in the missing data case, he said and added that a police team went to Bengaluru to arrest a few persons.
According to sources, a temporary contract employee at the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board headquarters has been apprehended by the Chintadripet police in connection with the theft that occurred around May 16 - 17.
Confirming the theft of 18 hard disks from the TNEB, the Minister said the police were also investigating on whether the staff were also involved in the case relating to the missing data. He however, said that critical data including tender-related information was not lost permanently as backup copies existed. Currently, efforts were on to recover the data.
Speaking to reporters here, Nirmal Kumar accused former DMK Minister V Senthil Balaji, who held the electricity portfolio, of irregularities in tender estimations, particularly regarding the procurement of transformers.
Contracts were awarded at inflated prices compared to market rates, Kumar alleged and stressed that policy would be streamlined to ensure transparency.
"This includes implementing new policies for tender estimations that account for market and manufacturer rates, as well as establishing a new website for solar power project applications to eliminate middlemen," the Minister said.
On power outages, he said the department will publish details on large power outages specifying the locations and causes, for the benefit of the public.
Asked about neighbouring Karnakataka's aggressive stance on constructing a balancing reservoir across the Cauvery at Mekedatu, Kumar said the state government was taking legal steps to prevent the "unauthorised" construction and flayed Chief Minister D K Shivakumar for allegedly inciting inter-state tension over the Cauvery issue for political gains.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
