Latest news with #SSSivasankar
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
TN needs Rs 2 lakh crore investments in power sector over next 7 years: Electricity Minister S S Sivasankar
CHENNAI: To sustain growth and decarbonise the grid, Tamil Nadu requires more than Rs 2 lakh crore investments across the value chain of power generation, transmission, storage and distribution over the next five to seven years, said Electricity Minister S S Sivasankar on Friday. Speaking at the southern region power ministers' conference in Bengaluru, Sivasankar stressed that such large-scale investments would not be possible without improving the financial health of power distribution companies (discoms). He urged both the central and state governments to join hands in supporting these reforms. 'A detailed plan to restructure the debt of discoms is the need of the hour. The responsibility of taking over the debt must be shared by both centre and states. This scheme should be linked to financial reforms to ensure accountability and prevent further losses,' he added. He also called on all stakeholders to press for dedicated grants for the power sector in the recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission, which is currently working on the public finance road map for the next five years.
New Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Domestic users won't have to pay higher power tariff: Tamil Nadu minister SS Sivasankar
CHENNAI: Electricity Minister SS Sivasankar on Tuesday said Chief Minister MK Stalin has advised that the power tariff of household consumers is to be maintained at the current rate when TNERC issues an order revising the tariff. He further added the CM has asked for the continuation of all free and subsidy schemes that are in place at the moment. This would mean that the state government would absorb the tariff hike for household consumers, which is likely to increase the tariff subsidy provided by the state government to the financially ailing Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL). The tariff subsidy provided in 2024-25 to TNPDCL was Rs 15,772.21 crore. In 2023, the state government fully absorbed the tariff increase of 2.18%. This led to the tariff subsidy going up by nearly 25% from Rs 12,069.97 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 14,976.42 crore in 2023-24. In 2024, the government partially absorbed the increase of 4.83%, resulting in a marginal increase in tariff subsidy of around 5%. Sivasankar's statement came in the backdrop of the anticipated annual automatic tariff revision that will come into force from July 1 every year until 2026-27, once TNERC issues orders. The revision is linked to the Consumer Price Index based retail inflation for the country for April month of respective year with a cap of 6%.
New Indian Express
24-04-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Physical eligibility criteria relaxed for 67 of 76 woman conductors: TN transport minister
CHENNAI: Transport Minister SS Sivasankar informed the Assembly that out of 1,024 persons appointed on compassionate grounds, 76 are women. Of these, 67 women were recruited by relaxing the physical eligibility criteria. He explained while women's average height is generally lower than men, the recruitment rules had mandated a minimum height of 160 cm for conductor posts. In several cases where transport employees died while on duty, the only eligible family members were women. 'To support such families, we lowered the minimum height requirement for female conductors from 160 cm to 150 cm,' Sivasankar said. The minister also said 1,800 permits have been issued for operating mini-buses across, with the scheme set to launch in the second week of May. He added an extension of one kilometre beyond the 25 km route limit would be allowed if a hospital, college, temple, or other key public institution falls just outside the designated route. Key announcements Introduction of a driver monitoring system in 500 buses. Installation of 360-degree view cameras in 4,000 buses to enhance driver visibility, with Rs 15 crore allocated for the initiative Modernisation of 50 maintenance depots at a cost of Rs 75 crore. Upgrading five Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) into model RTOs with improved facilities to curb the influence of touts
New Indian Express
24-04-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
TN transport undertakings' daily loss rises to Rs 18.9 crore; CNG buses to cut fuel costs and emissions
CHENNAI: The daily loss incurred by the eight state transport undertakings has increased from Rs 17.7 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 18.9 crore in 2024-25 (up to February). The mounting debts are primarily attributed to not revising ticket fare since January 2018, which is cheapest in south India, increasing operational cost and fuel expenses, salaries to employees and other benefits. Meanwhile, the transport department has decided to procure 746 buses powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), which is 12-14% cheaper than high-speed diesel. Additionally, 1,000 diesel buses will be retrofitted to operate on CNG. The move to run 1,746 CNG buses will not only build an eco-friendly transportation network but also is projected to yield annual savings of Rs 116 crore towards fuel expenses. The switch to CNG is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emission by approximately 37,190 tonnes annually, contributing to environmental sustainability and potentially generating revenue through carbon credits, as per the documents presented in the Assembly. Last year, the transport department conducted a pilot project converting 21 diesel buses in the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) and six other transport corporations to CNG. The trial revealed that CNG buses are both environmental friendly and more cost-effective, achieving a mileage of 6.5 to 7 km compared to the 5.3 to 5.6 km in diesel buses. During the Assembly session on grants for his department on Wednesday, Transport Minister SS Sivasankar announced that 3,755 new buses have already been added to the fleet, and another 8,175 buses will be introduced by March 2026. This includes the 746 CNG buses and AC buses funded by the World Bank and other agencies, which are expected to hit Chennai roads starting June. Official data further indicate that the corporations registered a revenue loss of Rs 6,077.89 crore in 2022-23, which rose to Rs 6,380.83 crore in 2023-24. However, the loss stood at Rs 6,228.79 crore in 2024-25 (up to February). This means, the average daily loss increased from Rs 16.83 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 17.7 crore in 2023-24, and further to Rs 18.9 crore in 2024-25 (till February). During 2024-25, the transport department recorded earnings of Rs 13,035.06 crore, while total expenditure stood at Rs 19,263.86 crore. Of this expenditure, Rs 10,401.65 crore (54%) was allocated for salary, wages, provident fund, pension and other employee benefits. High-speed diesel expenses accounted for Rs 4,943.9 crore (25.66%), while Rs 2,332 crore (12.11%) went towards interest payments on loans. An additional Rs 232.32 crore (1.06%) was spent on motor vehicle taxes for buses, with the remaining Rs 1,353 crore (8.17%) covering maintenance, vehicle depreciation, toll fees, provident fund losses and accident compensation. The fleet capacity of the transport corporation is 20,508 buses, of which 18,674 are being operated on 10,121 routes every day. The buses run for 82.27 lakh kilometers per day and carry 1.8 crore commuters a day.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Two-wheelers cross 3cr, TN pushes for green transport
Chennai: The govt in Tamil Nadu, where two-wheeler registrations have crossed 3 crore for the first time and now make up 84% of all vehicles, has announced a shift towards cleaner public transport. It plans to procure 746 new CNG buses, convert another 1,000 diesel buses into CNG buses and buy 625 electric buses, which are expected to hit the roads in July. CNG buses are not new to Tamil Nadu, with 21 diesel buses already converted, including one in Chennai. A study found that CNG buses reduce operational costs by around 13% compared to diesel, making them more economical. Building on this pilot, the state plans to introduce 1,768 CNG buses, which could save 116 crore annually in fuel costs. The shift is also expected to cut CO₂ emissions by around 37,190tonnes each year, transport minister S S Sivasankar said during Wednesday's assembly session. Once deployed, Tamil Nadu's CNG fleet will be about half the size of Delhi's, which runs the world's largest fleet. Following the announcement, opposition members raised concerns about the possible privatization of bus services in Chennai under the guise of introducing electric buses. Responding to this, the minister said that the gross cost contract (GCC) model — recommended by funding agencies — places operational risks on private operators since electric mobility is still an evolving sector. The model, he added, was chosen to manage costs and uncertainties while scaling up green transport initiatives . Besides this, the government will be replacing 2,250 normal overaged diesel buses to modernize its 20,000-strength bus fleet. However, the expansion comes amid mounting losses, with monthly deficits crossing 566 crore and total loan burden exceeding 20,100 crore. Experts warn that without structural reforms, the financial pressure may overwhelm state transport corporations.
