COIMBATORE: A long pending demand of setting up a separate sub-station to share distribution load in the core Coimbatore city was expected to be executed at the under-construction 'Semmozhi Poonga'. However, works have not take off for the last three months citing a delay in possession permission for the land from the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC).
"The CCMC has given 'enter upon permission' for the land to build the sub-station but is delaying in offering possession permission. Hence, the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) cannot officially take over the land for development works," said sources from TNPDCL.
TNPDCL sources said the demand was considered during the announcement of the Semmozhi Poonga and around 50 cents of land near the prison entrance was allocated. It was planned to share the distribution load from the receiving station at Tatabad. This sub-station is planned to be constructed at an outlay of around Rs 19 crore and it would have 210 power transformers to manage overload issues. Stressing the delay, TNPDCL wrote a letter to the corporation commissioner, said sources.
It is to be noted that TNPDCL has proposed three additional sub-stations for the Coimbatore metro circle at Pallapalayam (110/11 kV), Semmozhi Poonga (110/11 kV), and a 33/11 kV substation on the Kalapatti-Kurumbapalayam Road. Of these, department approval was issued to the Pallapalayam station and it is at the fund allocation stage.
TNPDCL officials said the construction of the sub-station was initiated three months ago, and a pooja was also conducted. Later, citing delay in obtaining possession permission, work was halted. To manage the growing electricity demand of the core city of Coimbatore, especially the surrounding areas of Gandhipuram, TNPDCL planned an additional sub-station, which has been a demand for over a decade.
CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran said, "There is no need for ownership change and possession permission for such special projects. They can start their work as we already gave 'enter upon permission'. We had demanded and brought the plan of the sub-station into the Semmozhi Poonga project considering future needs, then why would we halt the work," he asked.