BHUBANESWAR : In a major relief to the people battling soaring temperatures, deputy chief minister and Energy minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo on Monday directed all the four Tata Power-managed power distribution companies (discoms) not to disconnect electricity supply to domestic users over pending bills during the ongoing heatwave.
Singh Deo also issued strict instructions prohibiting any unscheduled power cut across the state. “While maintenance-related shutdowns may be unavoidable, they may be planned and communicated well in advance through SMS alerts and public announcements to minimise inconvenience to the general public,” he said.
The directive to TP discoms from the deputy chief minister came following the warning by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi that power cuts during summer months will not be tolerated as the state government is committed for uninterrupted and quality power supply to the consumers.
Consumers have been expressing growing frustration over recurring power interruptions, often attributed to system maintenance and infrastructure upgrades. While utilities have maintained that such shutdowns are necessary to strengthen the grid and prevent larger breakdowns, the timing and lack of adequate prior intimation have drawn criticism. Many residents in the state capital have complained of prolonged outages during peak afternoon hours, exacerbating discomfort amid rising temperatures.
CM warned action against unannounced power cuts
Similar concerns have been echoed in other urban and semi-urban areas, where repeated maintenance work has disrupted daily routines and business activities.
Earlier, the chief minister had also issued a stern warning to discoms, stating that stringent action would be taken against officials responsible for power failures not caused by external factors. He had also said that official responsible such outages will face imprisonment.
The government has adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards avoidable disruptions while prioritising consumer convenience and reliable power supply during the critical summer period, officials said.