Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Lokayukta recommended disciplinary action against 12 officers of TN Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (TNPDCL) for forcing consumers to pay for the replacement of faulty smart meters, instead of making the contractor replace them for free under warranty.The 12 officers are assistant engineers (AEs) C Chithreswari (Nandanam), T G Kumar (Selaiyur), C Jayakanthan (Saidapet East), S Lakshman (T Nagar Central), assistant executive engineers (AEEs) S Pandiarajan (West Mambalam II), S Priya (Nungambakkam), V Ranganathan (West Mambalam-I), KSM Ravidhanran (T Nagar South), S Kumar (West Mambalam II), S Shanmugam (Usman Road), P Muthuramalingam, then junior engineer (JE) of Rangarapuram, and JE P Venkadasubbaiya (T Nagar North).The Lokayukta recorded that these officers, holding full powers to replace faulty meters, caused wrongful loss to consumers by collecting ₹8,000 to ₹12,000 to replace smart meters installed in and around T Nagar under the smart city project. In Dec 2024, TOI reported that the discom was making consumers pay for faulty smart meters that it should replace for free. Based on this report, city-based activist Neelakanta Pillai took it up with Lokayukta.Under the smart city project, 1.29 lakh smart meters were installed by a Jaipur-based contractor, Genus Power Infrastructure Ltd, with a seven-year guarantee clause, specifying free replacement of faulty meters during the period. TNPDCL also entered into an annual maintenance contract with the company for seven years to attend to complaints, and faults.Yet, these officers replaced meters after collecting money from consumers. Based on a petition seeking action against the officials, Lokayukta conducted a preliminary inquiry with the help of DVAC. The inquiry revealed that out of the 2,896 defective smart meters, 71 were replaced by officers after collecting money from consumers under the head “recoveries from consumers towards damage to board properties”.On July 29, Judge P Rajamanickam dropped charges against senior officials in the rank of directors and chief engineers, as the officers at AE and AEE levels hold full powers to replace meters. The Lokayukta order also said corruption charges would not arise since the officers deposited the collected money in TNPDCL’s account.
