Wrongdoers cannot escape by stealing a few hard disks: Tamil Nadu minister Nirmalkumar

Chennai: A day after TOI reported that hard disks had gone missing from the TNEB headquarters in Chennai, energy minister R Nirmalkumar said crucial and sensitive data were already available as physical documents.

Asked whether the theft was an attempt to put the new govt under pressure, the minister said no individual can control the operations of organisations such as TNPDCL and threaten the govt. “The documents are all being audited. All necessary information regarding the transformer procurement case is already with enforcement agencies, and CBI will investigate the same. It is foolish to think wrongdoers can get away by stealing a few hard disks,” he said on Thursday.

Last month, unknown people had stolen data from various departments in TNPDCL. “An EB vigilance inquiry was initiated into the missing hard disks . Now, a formal complaint has been lodged with police, who have taken it up for investigation. A few people have been secured,” the minister said. “Investigation is under way to ascertain whether the theft was planned after a few TNPDCL and TNGECL officers were suspended.”

The minister has instructed officers to secure crucial and sensitive data and create a backup. “Documents related to tenders, labour contracts in thermal plants, coal purchase-related documents, transformer purchases, as well as load flow studies for green power projects would be secured and validated from TNPDCL offices across the state ,” he said.

Meanwhile, Central Organisation of Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees (COTEE) has urged the minister to safeguard physical documents related to projects. “Additional CCTVs should be installed at different floors of the TNEB headquarters to monitor suspicious movement,” said T Jaishankar, general secretary of COTEE.

Nirmalkumar also said the electricity department required policy level changes to streamline its operations and make it corruption-free. He said he would announce the proposed changes soon.