'Unreasonable': Tamil Nadu's Vijay Govt Cancels High-Rate Power Tenders Amid Opposition Backlash

News india 'Unreasonable': Tamil Nadu's Vijay Govt Cancels High-Rate Power Tenders Amid Opposition Backlash

Last Updated:October 28, 2026, 09:07 IST

The move followed opposition criticism over the proposed high procurement rates, with Udhayanidhi Stalin arguing that consumers will ultimately bear the burden of higher costs

The Tamil Nadu government has cancelled short-term power procurement tenders after bidders quoted rates ranging from Rs 37 to Rs 41 per unit. Energy Minister Nirmal Kumar called the prices unreasonable, adding that the state has sufficient power for the next three months.

The move followed opposition criticism over the proposed high procurement rates, with Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Udhayanidhi Stalin arguing that consumers will ultimately bear the burden of higher costs through electricity bills.

Nirmal Kumar announced that the government would not purchase electricity at the rates quoted by the bidders, who had tabled their proposals after the tender was opened on Tuesday.

“We are not going to do any purchase of power for the quoted rates of Rs 37 to 41," he said.

The minister stressed that Tamil Nadu had sufficient power to manage its requirement for the next three months, adding that electricity was being procured in advance for the next summer.

He said that the quoted prices were unreasonable, adding that he had instructed officials to cancel the tender.

Udhayanidhi Stalin Attacks Vijay Govt

Training guns at the Vijay-led government, DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, questioning the proposed electricity procurement rates and claiming that the higher costs could be borne by consumers.

“I strongly condemn the rotten administration of this ‘Cheap CM’—an administration that has reached a new, unprecedented low by deciding to purchase electricity at Rs. 41 per unit, even after already paying an exorbitant Rs. 35 per unit", he wrote in a post on X.

“Is this why, just two days ago, his entire brigade—from his ‘half-pant’ (immature) followers to his online abusers—were peddling the false claim that the cost of power generation somewhere in Rajasthan was the actual procurement price?" he added.

Describing Vijay as a “dummy CM", Stalin Jr. accused the government of failing to provide effective administration.

“This is neither governance nor administration. Yet, this ‘#DUMMY_CM’—who struts around with such misplaced confidence, claiming to be the Chief Minister—is now set to burden the public by forcing them to pay for this high-priced electricity through inflated electricity bills. Is this what they call ‘change’ (a reference to the DMK’s election slogan)?" he wrote.

“At a time when Tamil Nadu leads in price hikes due to their sheer incompetence, they have also chosen the festive season to increase the prices of Aavin dairy products", the DMK leader said.

Stalin accused the government of “dragging the state backward", claiming the people themselves will teach a “fitting lesson" to what he called a “circus troupe".

“The people themselves will teach a fitting lesson to this ‘circus troupe’—a group that relentlessly hits the public where it hurts most, dragging Tamil Nadu into ‘reverse gear’ and pushing the state backward."

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Meemansa ShekhawatSub-editor

A Journalism graduate, Meemansa Shekhawat is a sub-editor at News18. Driven by a keen interest in news, she is a passionate writer with specialisation in national and international affairs. You can re...Read More

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