Amid complaints of prolonged unscheduled power cuts during the ongoing spell of heat and humidity, a 76-year-old social worker and lawyer staged a unique protest in Jagatsinghpur district on Thursday. This drew attention to electricity supply issues and the protestors demanded corrective measures from the power utility.

Basudev, a social worker and advocate, dressed in a sari and wearing bangles, marched through the town before staging a dharna in front of the Tata Power office near the bus stand. He said the protest aimed to highlight public grievances over electricity disruptions and to urge authorities to improve the power supply.

Protest Against Power Supply Disruptions

Residents participating in the demonstration alleged that frequent outages had made daily life difficult amid the prevailing humid weather conditions.

“If everyone comes together and extends support, there will be no more power cuts. I assure everyone that if we unite on this issue, we can ensure that such disruptions stop,” Basudev said.

He alleged that power supply was being disrupted for several hours a day and claimed that repeated complaints to the concerned authorities had not yielded results.

Another protester echoed similar concerns.

“We want this issue to be resolved. Electricity is being generated from coal and water, and Odisha is supplying power to other states as well. The present government had promised 300 units of free electricity, but people are struggling even to receive regular power supply. It is difficult to cope with this heat without electricity. Tata Power officials sent goons to collect dues from households, yet consumers continue to face supply issues,” he alleged.

Tata Power Responds

Responding to the allegations, a Tata Power official denied claims of prolonged outages and attributed temporary disruptions to ongoing infrastructure work.

“There have been no power cuts lasting four hours as alleged. We have records to verify this. Jagatsinghpur’s power distribution network is among the oldest in the region. The 11 kV line runs above while the LT line passes below, and we are working to separate them. For the safety of our crew carrying out the work, temporary power shutdowns were necessary,” the official said.

He added, “Alternative lines have already been laid over a stretch of four kilometres. Further expansion will be undertaken once additional funds are allocated.”

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Call For Administrative Action

The protest concluded outside the electricity office, with demonstrators demanding improved power supply management and quicker resolution of consumer complaints. Basudev said the symbolic protest was intended to draw public attention to the issue and press for changes in the functioning of the power distribution system.