Experiences with TNEB

I some interesting experiences with the Electricity board this week. The ruling party here DMK was conducting all the many sports activities to rope in youth into the party. So what they did was just conduct these events in all the government grounds (like government schools, play grounds etc). There was one such ground in Kodambakkam and another one in Gopalapuram near our office. There they conduct events using lights and the electricity is naturally stolen from the nearby transformers (or whatever they are called). They have absolutely no qualms about it. So I took photographs of these and went to the TNEB office to complain. I showed them the photographs. The Asst. Engineer at the Kodambakkam office was pretty responsive. He told me that he knew this very well, and that all these are also metered and that they will have to pay for it. But only later did I realise that only those that are taken from the street lights (picture 3) were metered and were paid for. But those that were taken directly from the transformer are not accounted for. But even drawing from from the street lights is not justified just because they are paying for it, because going by that argument, even residential houses need not get electrical connections, we can just draw electricity from the nearest street light and pay for it.


Here are some photos

From switching boxes (I think they are called that)





From street light poles




Coming back to the complaints, the Kodambakkam engineer said that it would be really helpful if a written complaint was given, and so I gave him one the next day. But the Gopalapuram officer was evasive. He first sent me off saying that electricity was drawn only from street light poles. I then went took photographs of power being drawn from transformers, and then he asked me for a written complaint. I gave him one. I asked him when these will be disconnected. He said that it will be done the same day. The next day morning I had a look. Nothing was done. I again went to the Gopalapuram office. On enquiry I learnt that the officer I gave the complaint to went on leave. There was somebody else sitting. He told me that he has already talked to those who installed those illegal connections and that they will disconnect it today. I was stunned. Why the hell does he need to talk to them. As though they are respectable people. The wires should have been forcibly removed and action should have been taken on them. Instead of that, they are holding negotiations. But I chose not to talk then. I came off. This was on friday. Friday evening I checked. Again nothing happened. This will be followed up next week only.