Why change Tangedco’s complaints redressal system, asks OPS
The Hindu
‘Number of complaints resolved has dropped under new arrangement’
AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam on Wednesday questioned the need for changing the consumer complaint redressal system in Tangedco.
In a statement, he said the telephone number of the complaint redressal mechanism — 1912 — had functioned since 2003 and, in the name of merging the call centre with a new arrangement called ‘Minnagam Call Centre’, the number had been changed to 94987 94987. Under the previous arrangement, the power utility had resolved 12,000 complaints a day through 44 complaint call centres whereas, under the new system, the figure had come down to 8,000.
Mr. Panneerselvam asked Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to ascertain whether the tender process for the new arrangement was followed in a transparent manner, and urged him to publish all the details on the website of the power utility; reinstate the services of those who had lost their jobs owing to the new system; address the issue of dissatisfaction among the workforce; and protect the data of three crore consumers of electricity.
More than 2.6 lakh village and ward volunteers in Andhra Pradesh, once celebrated as the government’s grassroots champions for their crucial role in implementing welfare schemes, are now in a dilemma after learning that their tenure has not been renewed after August 2023 even though they have been paid honoraria till June 2024. Disowned by both YSRCP, which was in power when they were appointed, and the current ruling TDP, which made a poll promise to double their pay, these former volunteers are ruing the day they signed up for the role which they don’t know if even still exists