CHENNAI: Electricity Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar on Tuesday directed TNEB engineers to inform higher authorities immediately if a power outage goes beyond 15 minutes, through the designated WhatsApp groups, so that immediate action can be taken to restore supply.
Speaking at a felicitation function held at the TNEB headquarters for promoting 700 AEs as assistant executive engineers, the minister said officials should identify areas that face frequent power cuts and take corrective steps to improve the reliability of power supply.
“If people are clearly informed about what has happened and when the power supply will be restored, they will stay assured. The biggest reason for public dissatisfaction is the lack of response from officials. It is the duty of every officer to explain the situation to consumers,” he said.
The minister also announced that transfers in the electricity board would be carried out transparently. Vacant posts would be filled first, while special consideration would be given only in genuine cases such as medical grounds. “There will be no place for getting transfers by paying money, as was alleged in the past,” he said.
Nirmal Kumar asked officials to immediately report long-pending vacancies to the headquarters and assured that staff shortages would be addressed.