BY TC News Desk
Agartala, May 22, 2023: Massive resentment brewed among local people of Khowai sub-division against the alleged irresponsibility of the officials and staff of the Power department during the past couple of days. The senior officials of the Power department are alleged to be relaxing in air-conditioned rooms while the innocent electricity workers in the field are facing extreme heat of abuse from the consumers.
Allegations of not receiving phone calls during emergency and loadshedding have been raised against the TSECL, Khowai office. The attitude of the officials in Khowai sub-division are also alleged to be carelessness and negligence.
The Power minister Ratanlal Nath claimed that the TSECL officers and staff have pledged not to take leave upto June 15 next. But on Sunday last that was a holiday, there was no electricity in many areas including Durganagar Pur area of the Khowai Municipal Council from 6 AM to 2 PM. Even after calling several times, there is no result. Even though electricity is available in the afternoon, the same situation appeared again all over the Khowai sub-division from afternoon. Immense tripping and loadshedding took place. There is no story of how many times the electricity went and came from six in the evening to ten at night. Some consumers call the corporation’s sub-divisional office on the landline, but there is no response. No one is there to receive the calls. At some point, the consumer’s anger exceeds the limit of tolerance.
At around 11:30 pm on Sunday last, the irate consumers rushed to the Khowai sub-division office of the Electricity Corporation. At that time, neither the senior manager nor a manager was seen in the office of the sub-division of the corporation. Not even an electricity worker was found. They are supposed to be in the office of the sub-division of the corporation. They are supposed to do duty on the line on an urgent basis. At that time, there was no electricity worker on the line either. The angry consumers vandalized indiscriminately in the office. A night watchman of the corporation was on duty at that time. The agitated consumers approached him and beat up the innocent night watchman. He somehow ran away for his life. The uninterrupted rampage continued for an hour.
But the surprising thing is that after so much violence and vandalism in the office of the corporation at night, the senior manager or any manager is not seen in the office of the sub division of the corporation till 12 o’clock on Monday. People from different sections went to the office of the Corporation and witnessed the scene of vandalism the previous night, but they did not meet the senior manager or a manager. Even AGM or DGM weren’t found in the office till 12 noon.
The Khowai police station staff arrived on Monday. They were informed about the incident of the night. They recorded everything. Finally, a written complaint was filed in the police station on Monday afternoon by the Corporation. There is panic in Khowai and TSECL’s field workers feel lack of security.
