Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal issued stern directive to the Power Department to avert recurrence of incidents of electrocuted deaths during the ensuing Monsoon season in the State.
Chairing a meeting of Power Department at the conference room of his office in Janata Bhawan here this evening, Chief Minister Sonowal asked Power Department to put in place all the precautionary measures to avert the incidents of electrocuted deaths during the forthcoming monsoon season in the state.
Drawing attention of the department regarding the electrocuted deaths happened during the last monsoon in the state, Sonowal asked Principal Secretary Power Jishnu Baruah to take pragmatic steps to replace bamboo electric poles if there is any in any part of the state with the concrete ones before the onset of monsoon.
More than 25 people died in the state last year due to electrocution. He also asked the department to generate awareness among the public to motivate them to stay away from the risk areas.
Sonowal further ordered the senior officers of the department to undertake extensive tours to all the areas of the state particularly in rural areas to oversee important electric installations and help the department to forge cordial relationship with the local people and use them as a deterrent against electrocuted incidents.
The Chief Minister stressed on the necessity of branding the department and introducing uniform dress code for the field area employees of the Power department.
He said that a pilot project for the same can be started from the coming April. The Chief Minister also mooted the idea of motivating the employees of the department and incentives their good works by instituting awards and dedicating a day exclusively for the department which would be termed as ‘Power Day’.
Sonowal also asked the department to prepare an action plan for decorating Guwahati more with illuminating lights.
The meeting also discussed elaborately on ‘on-line’ bill payment and smart prepaid meter, rural electrification and Swabhagya programme and different other projects for generating power.