Ground Reality of Electricity Supply in Kakatpur Contradicts Official Claims
Kakatpur, 13/4/23 – While the state government has declared that there is sufficient power supply in Odisha and that citizens will not face electricity cuts during the summer heatwave, the situation in Kakatpur, Puri district, presents a stark contrast. For the past two days, amidst an unbearable heatwave and sweltering humidity, the Kakatpur electricity sub-division has been carrying out unscheduled and arbitrary power cuts, throwing normal life into complete disarray.
Since Tata Power took over electricity operations, residents have been facing an increasing burden of inflated bills. At the same time, the area continues to suffer from unresolved low-voltage issues. Though a toll-free number is said to be available for consumers to register their complaints and access services, calls to this number go unanswered. Moreover, from junior engineers to assistant engineers, staff are rarely seen at their offices. In their absence, lower-level staff allegedly intimidate consumers by threatening them with fines.
It has been reported that in areas such as Nimapada Dighala Grid, even the Executive Engineer down to the Junior Engineer respond only superficially to consumers’ grievances. Despite Kakatpur being the headquarters of the local legislative constituency, and although electricity is being consistently supplied from Konark, the erratic and irresponsible operations of the Kakatpur electricity department continue unchecked and apparently escape the notice of the Home Minister or Energy Minister.
Therefore, the general public is now strongly demanding immediate attention and action from the State Energy Minister, the local MLA, the District Collector of Puri, and the top engineers of the electricity department to rectify the situation and ensure reliable power supply during the ongoing heatwave.
