Chennai, June 14 (IANS) Former Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister and DMK leader Senthil Balaji on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the TVK-led state government over the recurring power outages across the state, accusing it of administrative failure and urging it to take urgent measures instead of engaging in what he termed “distraction tactics”.

In a strongly worded statement, Balaji said the government, which had promised sweeping changes after assuming office, had instead pushed people into hardship within a month of taking power. He alleged that residents in several parts of the state were facing power cuts lasting between six and 12 hours, forcing people to stage protests and road blockades even at midnight.

“The government that promised change has delivered only disappointment. Power outages have become so severe that people, including children, elderly citizens and patients, are being forced out onto the streets at night,” he said.

Balaji criticised Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay for remaining silent on the issue and accused Electricity Minister V. Senthilkumar of attempting to divert attention from the crisis through conspiracy theories.

Referring to the minister’s recent remarks, he questioned claims that theft of fuse carriers and missing hard disks were responsible for the power disruptions. “How can a theft that occurs during the day be blamed for power failures at night? Is the entire power distribution network dependent on a single fuse carrier? Instead of addressing the real issue, the minister is creating stories and trying to mislead the public,” he alleged.

The DMK leader also objected to suggestions that employees in the power sector were involved in sabotage, saying the workforce had always served the public with dedication.

He accused the government of shifting blame to conceal its own inability to manage the electricity sector.

Highlighting the previous DMK government’s record, Balaji said Tamil Nadu had successfully met rising electricity demand without widespread outages. He noted that the state’s peak power demand had increased from 16,481 MW in 2021 to 20,974 MW in April 2026, yet uninterrupted supply had been maintained during the DMK regime.

He further claimed that Tamil Nadu had been recognised as one of India’s best-performing states in terms of power reliability and that nearly two lakh farmers had received free electricity connections during the previous administration.

Calling for immediate intervention, Balaji urged the government to focus on resolving the crisis rather than creating social media content.

Quoting DMK President M.K. Stalin, he said governments may mislead people for a while, but not indefinitely, and demanded that the administration take “war-footing measures” to eliminate power cuts and restore public confidence.

–IANS

aal/dpb