Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (TNPDCL) has brought relief to Chennai’s power consumers who have endured long wait times when calling the centralized Minnagam helpline (9498794987) to report power cuts, by reviving the Fuse-Off Call (FOC) helplines. The corporation has set up 77 helplines to cater to areas where interruptions occur frequently and for extended periods.
Dedicated Teams for Faster Response
Each FOC team, equipped with a dedicated phone number, will comprise four members with a dedicated vehicle to rush to the spots and attend to faults in transformers, poles, overhead and underground cables to restore power supply, said TNPDCL chairman and managing director J Radhakrishnan. Funds have been released to superintendent engineers concerned and further disbursed to section officers where the FOC is set to become operational.
“A telephone operator will attend grievance calls and record the complaints. They will travel with the FOC team to update them,” added the official.
Revival After Centralized System Issues
The FOC system, a localized grievance redressal mechanism, was discontinued following the introduction of the centralized call center Minnagam during the previous regime. However, consumers’ major complaint was that the centralized helpline was often unreachable. While some FOC helplines remained partially functional, the revival of FOC is expected to reduce anomalies in the complaint mechanism, even as Minnagam continues to operate.
Region-Wise Expansion
In the Chennai North region, comprising 71 sections, 15 FOC helplines are already functional, while an additional 19 helplines have been introduced to focus on areas such as Perambur, Villivakkam, R K Nagar, and outskirts like Ponneri. The Chennai South region, which had eight FOC helplines, has increased the number to 24, with dedicated teams deployed for Madipakkam, Kundrathur, Porur, and Poonamallee.
The Adyar region too has increased its FOC helplines from six to 20, with a dedicated team for all its 12 subdivisions. “Tambaram and Thoraipakkam section officers have been provided additional teams,” said an official. Similarly, the Avadi region has received an additional FOC helpline in addition to the existing 19 helplines.
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About the Author
Venkadesan S is a Special Correspondent who primarily covers electricity, aviation, the information commission, central investigation agencies, and metro rail.
