CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (TNPDCL) brought relief to Chennai’s power consumers who suffer long waiting times in the ‘queue’ upon calling Minnagam — 9498794987 — to report power cuts. It has revived the defunct fuse-off call (FOC) helplines and set up additional 77 helplines to cater to areas where interruptions occur too often and for long hours.Each FOC team with a dedicated phone number will comprise four members with a dedicated vehicle to rush to the spots to attend faults in transformers, poles, overhead and underground cables to restore power supply, said TNPDCL chairman and managing director J Radhakrishnan.While 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 and travel with the FOC team in the vehicle to keep updating them,” added the official.The FOC system, a localised grievance redressal mechanism, was done away with the introduction of centralised call centre Minnagam during the previous regime, but the consumers’ major complaint was that the centralised helpline (94987-94987) was often not reachable. However, some fuse off call helplines was partially functional in some areas.While Minnagam continues to be operational, revival of FOC is expected to bring down anomalies in the complaint mechanism. In Chennai North region comprising 71 sections, 15 FOC helplines are already functional, while an additional 19 helplines have been introduced to focus on areas like Perambur, Villivakkam, R K Nagar and outskirts like Ponneri.Chennai South region, which has eight FOC helplines has increased the number to 24 with dedicated teams deployed for Madipakkam, Kundrathur, Porur and Poonamallee.The Adyar region has increased the 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. Avadi region too got an additional FOC helplines over the existing 19 helplines.
