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Frustrated over repeated power cuts, angry villagers of Senteri village under Nuagaon block in Nayagarh district, held hostage the supervisor and other employees of the electricity department. Angry villagers alleged that the entire village was boiling in the heat due to the power cuts for the last 4-5 days and refused to release them until their problems were resolved.
The villagers accused senior officials of the electricity department of threatening and misbehaving with them and refused to release the hostages until they were given a promise in writing. Tempers flared and heated arguments broke out, leading to unrest in the village.
The electricity department employees had gone to the village for some work when furious locals cornered them over the frequent power cuts and accused them of not addressing their problems despite repeated complaints.
“Our village has been boiling in the heat for the last four days due to frequent power cuts. Whenever we call their employees, they misbehave with us and scold us on the phone using filthy language. JE keeps his phone switched off whenever we call him. This isn’t the first time. Power cuts have been continuing in our village for the last 10-12 years, but there has been no improvement, severely affecting our daily lives,” said a local Dilu Pradhan.
“We have never misbehaved with any officer before. But, now we are forced to take law into our hands. All we want is an uninterrupted power supply. We will detain the employees until their senior officials arrive in our village and give us in a written manner,” he added.
Similarly, another local Saroj Kumar Naik said, “They have cut power connection in the village for the last 4-5 days. Linemen misbehave with us when we call them. Despite repeated complaints, they are least bothered even as we are dying in the heat. In protest, we have detained a few employees of the electric department. We want their senior officials to come to the village and give an assurance in writing that they will immediately provide an uninterrupted power supply.”
