CHENNAI: A senior official of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) told TNIE that it has no plans to fill the vacancies immediately even as enough manpower is paramount in avoiding prolonged power cuts and attending to the faults in the field during the northeast monsoon.
The power utility is waiting for the State government’s approval to appoint 10,000 gang men. According to recent data accessed by TNIE, there are over 50,000 vacancies in the Tangedco, affecting field work such as wiring, power connections, faults and so on. During a recent presser, Minister for Electricity V Senthil Balaji confirmed that there were 50,000 vacancies but did not assure to fill them.
A senior Tangedco official said they will reassess the vacancies after the installation of smart meters and make the appointments then because the need for manpower will reduce after that. Besides, considering Tangedco’s financial position, it is impossible to fill 50,000 vacancies.
“Most of the monsoon preparedness work has been completed. Maintenance work in 2147 sub-stations was also completed,” the official said. He added that approximately 6.5 lakh tree branches were removed from power lines in the State, and 35,273 damaged poles were replaced.
“If there is any need for more manpower during monsoon, the only option is to appoint daily wagers,” the official added. On the condition of anonymity, a technical (engineering) staff told TNIE that Tangedco struggled to execute works during each cyclone due to a lack of manpower.
During the Gaja cyclone in delta districts, the power utility diverted all field employees and initiated works in these districts. Furthermore, they paid high wages in order to complete the work on a timeline.
“While employees were brought to the delta districts, works in other parts of the State were affected,” he added. He opined that Tangedco needs to take a bold decision to outsource fieldwork to provide better service to the consumers.
