Strict Action to be Taken if Electricity and Water Supply Maintained Properly, Phone Switched Off: District Collector

District Collector Arvind Kumar Poswal emphasized the need to maintain regular electricity and water supply during the summer season. He instructed officials and staff directly involved with public service departments to keep their mobile phones on at all times, listen patiently to the public's issues, and provide satisfactory responses. Any complaints regarding officials switching off their phones and failing to resolve public issues will be dealt with strictly.

The District Collector convened a meeting on Tuesday to discuss electricity, water, and road infrastructure with senior officials from relevant departments in light of the summer season. Initially, he sought information on the electricity supply. According to Bhawanishankar Sharma, the Executive Engineer of Ajmer Discom, there are a total of 9,22,180 electricity consumers in Udaipur district, including 7.5 lakh domestic, 80 thousand agricultural, 13 thousand industrial, and the remaining 84 thousand are non-domestic and other connections. The daily electricity consumption in the district averages around 85 lakh units (approximately 354 megawatts) during the summer, but it has increased to nearly 100 lakh units (417 megawatts) this time due to extreme heat and overloading. As a result, the Chittorgarh-Debari line experienced two trips on May 7th and 8th, disrupting electricity supply in the Udaipur and Banswara regions. To alleviate this overload, a 50% reduction in power supply is enforced in rural areas from 6:30 AM to 8:30 AM and on industrial connections from 5:30 PM to 11:30 PM, ensuring equitable electricity distribution to all consumers.

Furthermore, the Collector addressed the damage caused by a recent storm to 17 transformers and 85 poles belonging to the municipality. The municipal team worked tirelessly for 24 hours to swiftly restore supply. The District Collector anticipated an increase in demand and potential technical issues with the rise in temperature in the coming days. He instructed municipal officials to remain fully prepared and promptly resolve any issues to provide relief to the public.

The District Collector also reviewed progress on public construction projects. Rajiv Agrawal, Executive Engineer of the PWD City Circle, and Anil Garg, Executive Engineer of the Rural Circle, informed him that under the Prime Minister's Gram Sadak Yojana, work on strengthening and upgrading 12 roads in Udaipur district is progressing well and is expected to be completed by June. The tender process for non-payable and missing link projects worth Rs. 5 crore per assembly constituency for the financial year 2024-25 has been completed. Work will commence following the conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections and adherence to the Model Code of Conduct.

An inspection campaign for water supply and electricity distribution is scheduled for May 16th. The District Collector directed officials to conduct inspections of water supply and electricity distribution, including checking the timing, pressure, and quality of water supplied. He also instructed the electricity department to conduct field inspections of all 33 KV sub-stations and ensure reliable electricity supply, submitting a report afterward.

Finally, the District Collector instructed all officials involved in public service departments to remain responsive to public issues and provide satisfactory solutions. Any complaints about officials switching off their phones or failing to provide timely solutions will be dealt with strictly. Additionally, notices were issued to some engineers of the Discom for switching off their phones and failing to resolve public issues.