JAGATSINGHPUR/KENDRAPARA: Irked over unscheduled power cuts and related reasons, villagers of Samantarapur detained six employees of the Tata Power Central Odisha Distribution Limited (TPCODL) for four hours on Saturday.
The local people blamed Tata Power for negligence which caused the death of a 60-year-old farmer last week. The farmer Kanduri Rout, belonging to Barei Pipal, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Paradip Lock police station limits, was ploughing a paddy field for sowing when a live wire fell on him. He died on the spot.
Further, villagers said that unscheduled power cuts and low voltage problems make it hard for them to stay indoors. This, when the scorching heat already makes life difficult for them.
"We were forced to detain four members of the TPCODL squad to express our displeasure and seek a solution for our issues", the protesters said.
Upon receiving information, Tirtol police reached the spot and rescued the TPCODL staff.
Meanwhile, manager, TPCODL, Paradip Division Pravat Parida who also went to the spot assured to fulfil villagers’ demands including the transfer of linemen and helpers, installation of new transformers and fulfilment of the other demands. Following this, the villagers called off their stir.
Sarpanch of Samantarapur panchayat Madhusmita Behera said the villagers detained TPCODL staff demanding the transfer of local linemen, and helpers for their neglect in providing service.
The villagers further said that the electric poles in various villages in the district remain damaged for over a decade. These poles pose a threat to the people when there are gusty winds and rains.
In Kendrapara, protesting unscheduled power cut and low voltage in Aul, the Congress party on Saturday sat on dharna in front of the TPCODL office at Rajkanika and resorted to pelting eggs on the campus.
With unrelenting heat, power cuts at regular intervals have doubled the water supply woes of locals as pumps stop functioning. The situation is the same in every part of the district and Aul and Rajkanika blocks within the assembly constituency of Energy Minister Pratap Keshari Deb, are no exception.
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“There is hardly any day without a power outage. The situation becomes acute when it stretches for over five to six hours,” said former MLA of Aul and a senior Congress leader Debendra Sharma, while addressing the protestors in front of the Tata Power office.
“The state government is dancing to the tune of the Tata Power company and we continue to suffer,” said a protestor Mrutunjaya Rout of Aul. Contacted, an official of Tata Power in Kendrapara said, “In some places due to overload and other problems people face power shortage. We are replacing old electric wires and repairing many electric transformers to provide uninterrupted power. But there are times we have to stop supply for maintenance or in case of repair works after northwestern winds.