Alleged Negligence by Power Department Causes Heavy Losses to Hotel Business in Udaipur

Udaipur, June: A hotel operator in Udaipur has alleged gross negligence on the part of the Electricity Department after a technical fault in a recently approved meter box reportedly caused extensive damage to electrical equipment, resulting in financial losses worth several lakhs of rupees.

According to the hotel management, an application had been submitted to the Electricity Department for the installation of a new meter box at Kakarwa Haveli, located in Lal Ghat, after the existing meter box developed faults. Department officials reportedly inspected the new meter box on May 23, sealed it, and approved it for use.

However, at around 3:00 p.m. on June 11, a loud sound was reportedly heard from the meter box, following which the hotel's power supply was completely disrupted. The incident allegedly damaged several costly electrical appliances, including air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, internal wiring, and other equipment, causing substantial financial losses to the hotel business.

The hotel management further claimed that when the Electricity Department opened the meter box for inspection, the installed Current Transformer (CT) was found burnt. Preliminary findings reportedly revealed that the CT had been installed in the wrong direction. The management alleges that despite this technical defect, the meter box had previously been inspected and approved by departmental officials, raising serious questions about the quality and accuracy of the inspection process.

The department’s response after the incident has also come under criticism. According to the hotel management, although a replacement CT was arranged and sent for testing, repair work was delayed due to the unavailability of required technical staff. Electricity supply could reportedly be restored only late on June 12 following the intervention of the Superintending Engineer (SE).

As a result, the hotel remained without electricity for nearly one and a half days, severely affecting its operations. Several tourists allegedly faced inconvenience and chose to shift to other accommodations. The management claims that the disruption not only caused significant business losses but also adversely affected the image of Udaipur as a major tourist destination.

The hotel administration has alleged that the accident and resulting losses could have been avoided had the department conducted a proper technical inspection of the newly installed meter box and rectified the defects in time. The management has also claimed that a new digital meter was installed without prior approval or adequate information being provided to the consumer, raising concerns regarding consumer rights and procedural compliance.

Holding the Electricity Department directly responsible for the incident, the hotel management has demanded adequate compensation for the financial losses suffered and has called for accountability and appropriate action against the officials responsible for the alleged negligence.

The Electricity Department's version regarding the allegations was not available at the time of filing this report.