CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday handed over appointment orders to 401 candidates selected for service in the state’s power sector, including 383 assistant engineers and 18 assistant accounts officers.
The recruitment was carried out through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC), which issued the notification in June last year and conducted the recruitment examinations in August.
The newly-recruited personnel will serve in the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) and its subsidiary companies. Officials said the appointments would strengthen the functioning of the power utilities and support electricity generation, transmission and distribution activities across the state.
At the appointment order distribution event at Kalaivanar Arangam, CM Vijay noticed a full-term pregnant woman waiting for her turn to come on stage and receive the appointment order from him. Instead of asking her to come to the stage, the CM stepped down and personally handed over the order to her.
The woman R Akshaya Lakshmi, a resident of Tambaram, who holds a master’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering (EEE), has been appointed as an assistant engineer in Chengalpattu. According to officials, Akshaya Lakshmi had travelled from her mother’s residence in Thoothukudi to Chennai to attend the function after consulting doctors. Her expected date of delivery is June 28.
Soon after receiving the appointment order, she left the venue to assume charge at her place of posting in Chengalpattu. Officials said she had also applied for maternity leave in view of her impending delivery.
The CM’s gesture towards the expectant mother was appreciated by many participants at the function and became one of the highlights of the event.
Electricity Minister C T R Nirmalkumar, Chief Secretary M Saikummar, TNEB chairman J Radhakrishnan, Energy Secretary Anil Meshram and others officials were also present.