Chennai: Mayor R Priya strongly criticised minister Aadhav Arjuna for blaming local body representatives for recent power cuts and alleged delays in civic works, asserting that councillors had no role in electricity supply issues. She also urged the minister to “learn the basics” of governance.
Reacting to the minister, who had earlier alleged that councillors had been obstructing civic works and cutting power to cause a bad name for the government, Priya said on Tuesday that the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) is a separate government department headed by its own minister and officials. The powers of councillors do not extend to handling power supply.
“Tangedco has its own minister and officials. Local body representatives are not responsible for power cuts. Ask your ministers and officials to solve it,” she said.
The mayor’s remarks come amid escalating tensions between the city corporation and the state government over accountability for infrastructure issues. Priya emphasised that councillors focus on civic works within their wards, such as road maintenance and waste management, and should not be scapegoated for failures in the power sector.
She further called on the minister to direct his concerns to the appropriate department rather than blaming elected local representatives who have limited jurisdiction over electricity distribution. The dispute highlights ongoing friction between different tiers of governance in Tamil Nadu.
