Tata Power engineers detained for hours by locals amid power outage in Gajapati

A team of four engineers from Tata Power Southern Odisha Distribution Limited (TPSODL) was allegedly held by villagers for more than seven hours on Friday in Raigada and Nuagada blocks of Gajapati district over ongoing delays in electricity restoration.

Police intervened later in the evening to secure the release of the staff, reported The New Indian Express.

Power Disruption Triggers Local Unrest

According to the reports, persistent rains and landslides earlier this month disrupted power supply in several areas of Gajapati, leaving many households without electricity for over two weeks.

In villages including Ranglasingh, Bhannad, Baraba, and Paraji, over 500 families have allegedly been forced to cope with the outage, despite repeated complaints lodged with authorities.

The detained team, led by engineer Pitambar Sahu, had visited the affected villages to inspect the situation and expedite restoration work.

However, a group of approximately 100 to 150 residents confronted the team, demanding immediate action. The villagers expressed frustration over repeated assurances by the utility company that power would be restored within days, which they say were not met.

ALSO READ: Tata Power engineer arrested by Odisha Vigilance for accepting Rs 20,000 bribe, Rs 9.53L cash recovered

Temporary Relief Measures

Upon receiving reports of the detention, Raigada police promptly reached the location, mediated with the locals, and eventually rescued the TPSODL engineers.

Following the incident, the staff committed to providing temporary electricity connections within three days to mitigate the hardship faced by residents.

Earlier this year, a Tata Power bill collection team was assaulted in Khordha district after confronting a consumer accused of illegal electricity use and non-payment of dues. The incident in Mukundadaspur village involved aggressive resistance from residents over extended outages and delayed restorations.

So far, TPSODL has not released any official statement on the incident or the power outage allegations.