Tamil Nadu has replaced power board chairman Arun Roy with Rajesh Lakhani, returning an experienced administrator to the top post as the state faces equipment failures, power cuts outside Chennai and pressure to complete monsoon preparedness works.
According to a report by Dinamalar, Arun Roy, who took charge as chairman in July, has been replaced after about two and a half months. Rajesh Lakhani, who has previously served as the power board chairman for more than three years, has been appointed in his place.
The leadership change comes as daily electricity demand remains high despite the end of summer. The report puts average daily demand at about 20,000 megawatts, while reduced availability from the central generating pool and lower wind power generation has created a shortfall of around 2,000 megawatts. Power cuts have consequently been reported in districts outside Chennai.
The immediate operational problem, however, is not described as a shortage of generation capacity alone. Tamil Nadu is reported to have sufficient electricity to meet demand, but faults in power equipment are causing interruptions. The distinction places the focus on the condition, maintenance and repair of the distribution and transmission network rather than only on power procurement.
The timing is significant because the northeast monsoon is expected to begin by the end of October. The electricity department had instructed engineers to complete repair and maintenance work on power equipment by September 30 as part of its pre-monsoon preparations. Dinamalar reported that these works had not yet been fully completed.
For urban and rural consumers, unfinished equipment repairs can make electricity reliability dependent on the performance of local networks during periods of high demand, rain and strong winds. The source report does not provide a district-wise breakdown of pending works or the number of affected consumers, but it links the unresolved maintenance programme to concern among power board employees ahead of the monsoon season.
The appointment has also triggered a debate among employee organisations over the autonomy of the board’s chairman. Subramanian, general secretary of the Electricity Board Engineers and Workers United Association, said the new chairman should be allowed to function independently so that issues related to outages and supply can be addressed quickly.
Referring to an earlier period when an IAS officer named Vijayaraghavan served as power board chairman during M.G. Ramachandran’s tenure as chief minister, Subramanian said the officer had been allowed to work without political interference. He attributed the timely completion of projects, including work connected with the Mettur thermal power station, and the implementation of measures such as pensions for field workers to that autonomy. He also alleged that corporate influence and political intervention now restrict the ability of even experienced officials to act independently. These are the views of the employees’ organisation and are not independently corroborated in the supplied report.
Sekhizhar, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Workers Federation, said Lakhani’s experience of more than three years as chairman would be useful in handling power cuts, shortages and weather-related challenges. He also called for the new chairman to be given full independence.
The immediate milestones for the new leadership are the completion of pending equipment repairs and the board’s preparedness for the northeast monsoon. The report does not specify a revised deadline or announce further operational measures.
