Monsoon preparedness: Reduce call waiting to 10 secs, TN Minister tells officials

Chennai, Oct 19 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister S S Sivasankar on Sunday directed officials to reduce the current call waiting time at the electricity board’s consumer service centre, Minnagam, from 20 seconds to 10 seconds, ensuring immediate connection and no missed calls.

“To this end, 10 additional persons have been deployed at Minnagam, who will attend to complaints immediately during the Northeast monsoon,” said the minister while he was reviewing the preparedness of Minnagam.

In a press release issued by the minister’s office, it is stated that an Executive Engineer/General Engineer has also been appointed as the Special Duty Officer for each electricity distribution circle.

Sivasankar said under their leadership, two safety teams comprising 15 members each have been formed at the section level for that distribution circle.

The minister urged the officials to rectify all the complaints regarding power disruption immediately, said the press release.

“Complaints should be closed only after confirmation of rectification, communicated via Minnagam operating in the respective distribution circles and via phone to the complainant,” the minister is quoted as saying in the press release.

He also said integrated special maintenance works have been carried out across Tamil Nadu, and a total of 11,87,000 special maintenance works have been completed from April 1 to October 18.

“Among these, 34,401 damaged electrical posts across the state have been replaced. Low-hanging electrical wires have been replaced and reinstalled at 58,264 locations. Old electrical line wires for 1,243 km have been newly replaced. Maintenance works have been carried out 2,464 times at substations,” he added.

He also instructed the officials to be prepared for any eventualities. “Schools, marriage halls, and community halls identified for accommodating personnel engaged during disaster periods must be kept ready,” he urged them.

He also said, in case of widespread power disruptions, priority-based electricity supply should be restored first to hospitals, water supply connections, government offices, banks, and all mobile phone towers.

“Necessary actions should be taken on a war-footing basis to prevent overhead electrical lines passing at very low heights from snapping during windy rains,” he added.

He also warned the officials not to switch off their mobile phones and that action will be taken against those who switch off their phones.

Sivasankar, who is also Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Transport, was accompanied by J Radhakrishnan, Chairman and Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. PTI JR ROH