A CORRESPONDENT
PALASBARI: Serious allegations of negligence have been raised against officials of the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) under the Azara Sub-Division, located in the western part of Guwahati. Local residents claimed that the officials failed to respond with urgency during a potentially dangerous power short circuit incident in the Ojapara area on May 30.
According to residents, several households in Ojapara experienced short circuits early in the morning, with light fixtures flickering and some reportedly catching fire momentarily. At approximately 7:39 AM, a concerned consumer called the APDCL control room to report the issue. The employee who received the call assured that a team would be dispatched shortly.
Despite the proximity of the APDCL office, only around 300 meters from the affected area, no staff arrived even after more than an hour. When the consumer called again around 9:15 AM, the response from the official was allegedly dismissive, asking the caller to explain what kind of fault had occurred, leaving the resident stunned. Later, when the Subdivisional Officer was contacted directly, the caller was reportedly told not to disturb them early in the morning.
Eventually, an APDCL team did arrive after considerable delay and conducted checks on the power lines, finally resolving the issue.
Residents expressed serious concern over what they describe as gross irresponsibility in a highly sensitive and critical department like power distribution. “Had the short circuit led to a fire or loss of life, who would have taken responsibility?” questioned one of the affected citizens. The incident has sparked widespread criticism, with local consumers demanding better accountability and prompt service from APDCL officials in such emergency situations.
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