Police action: Power staff in Telangana blow a fuse
The police should enforce the lockdown strictly, but at the same time, should not beat employees without checking their identity cards, said the Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy
Hyderabad: The highhandedness of the police while enforcing the lockdown drew sharp criticism from electricity employees prompting Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy to lodge a complaint with Director-General of Police M Mahendar Reddy on Saturday.
Speaking over the phone with Mahendar Reddy, Jagadish Reddy said the police were unnecessarily using batons against the power staff who are discharging their duties round the clock. They beat up two employees in Nalgonda district without checking their identity cards, he said.
The police should enforce the lockdown strictly, but at the same time, should not beat employees without checking their identity cards, Jagadish said and requested the DGP to take action against the police officials who beat up the employees. The Minister also spoke to Nalgonda Superintendent of Police AV Ranganath.
N Venkataiah, secretary, Nalgonda Region, Telangana Electricity Employees 1104 Union, said a junior assistant, Prithviraj, was beaten up by the police at Ramagiri centre while returning home after his duty on Friday. An artisan, Shankar, was also beaten up while returning home with his ailing wife after consulting a doctor at Nampally town on Saturday.
A police team had also admonished women employees who were on their way to the office and sent them back.
To protest against the police highhandedness, the power employees refused to rectify the 11KV line feeder breakdown resulting in a disruption in the power supply for a while. They later addressed the problem following an assurance from higher-ups that action would be taken against the errant cops.
TSSPDCL Chairman and Managing Director G Raghuma Reddy said the Electricity Department is exempted from the lockdown as it is an emergency service. Moreover, the employees are discharging duties round the clock. He asked the staff to wear identity cards while stepping out and affix the department’s sticker on their vehicles.
He requested the Police Department not to stop the electricity employees keeping in view the services rendered by them to every sector, including health.
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