TN govt cancels Adani-linked smart meter tender over high costs
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) has canceled a global tender for procuring smart meters, previously awarded to Adani Energy Solutions Ltd (AESL), citing the high cost quoted by the company.
Issued in August 2023 under the central government's revamped distribution sector scheme, the tender was divided into four packages. AESL, a BSE-listed company, emerged as the lowest bidder for Package 1, which involved installing over 82 lakh smart meters across eight districts, including Chennai.
On December 27, 2024, the Tamil Nadu government announced the cancellation of the tender for all four packages. While the cost factor was highlighted as the primary reason for rejecting AESL's bid, details regarding the cancellation of the other packages were not disclosed.
The decision comes amid ongoing allegations against Gautam Adani, the promoter of the Adani Group, accused of paying over USD 250 million (approximately Rs 2,100 crore) in bribes for favorable solar power contracts. Adani Group has denied the allegations, even as US prosecutors proceed with indictments in the case.
TANGEDCO is expected to reissue a tender for the smart meter project in the near future.
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Assam to lift all cases against Koch Rajbongshis in Foreigners' Tribunals: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati, Apr 4 (PTI): The Assam cabinet has decided to lift all cases pending against people from the Koch Rajbongshi community in the Foreigners' Tribunals, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.
They will also no longer carry the tag of 'D' or doubtful voters, he said.
''There are 28,000 cases pending in different Foreigners' Tribunals in the state against people of the community. The cabinet has taken a historic decision of lifting the cases with immediate effect,'' Sarma said at a press conference here after the cabinet meeting.
The government believes that the Koch Rajbongshis are an indigenous community of the state and they are an inextricable part of ''our social and cultural fabric'', he asserted.
The people of this community are poor and have suffered a lot over the years, he said.
''They will no longer carry the tag of foreigners or ‘D’ voters,'' the CM said.
Foreigners Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, particularly in Assam, established to determine if a person residing in India is a "foreigner" as defined by the Foreigners Act of 1946, based on the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964.
These tribunals are designed to address matters related to citizenship and the presence of “foreigners” in India, specifically focusing on cases where someone is suspected of being an illegal immigrant.
There are 100 Foreigners’ Tribunals across Assam.
The Koch Rajbongshis have a sizeable presence in Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and parts of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, and they demand Scheduled Tribe status.
