K.A. Sengottaiyan. File
| Photo Credit: M. Govarthan
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan on Friday alleged that the previous DMK government had failed to create adequate power infrastructure despite the steady increase in electricity demand across Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to reporters at Coimbatore airport, Mr. Sengottaiyan said electricity consumption in the State had been rising continuously, but the infrastructure required to meet the demand had not been developed. Though it had been claimed that more than ₹7,000 crore was spent on the power sector, only ₹627 crore had been allocated for infrastructure works, he alleged.
He said Chennai had infrastructure to handle only 3,500 MW of power, while the city was currently consuming around 5,000 MW. The previous DMK government had relied on infrastructure created during the AIADMK regime and had not undertaken additional works to expand capacity, he claimed.
On the Mekedatu dam issue, Mr. Sengottaiyan said that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay had clearly opposed the project and had been consistently conveying Tamil Nadu’s position to the Prime Minister through letters. He added that the Chief Minister had also urged Karnataka to release the Cauvery water due to the State.
Referring to the opening of Mettur dam, he said engineers had informed the government that the reservoir could be opened only after adequate water was available, as inflow remained low.
Responding to a question on the proposed by-election, Mr. Sengottaiyan said no decision could be taken until the Election Commission announced the poll schedule. The decision on the candidates would be taken by our party president after the election notification.
Published – June 12, 2026 09:13 pm IST
