Agartala, September 20: Frequent and prolonged power cuts in several parts of Agartala have triggered renewed complaints from consumers, with residents raising questions over the maintenance of the power distribution network and the response to outage-related grievances.
The latest disruption affected areas under the Dukli feeder, where residents reported being without electricity for nearly seven hours from around 6 am on Saturday. The extended outage disrupted household activities and other essential work, according to local residents.
The power interruptions have added to existing concerns among consumers over electricity services provided by the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL). While disputes and complaints relating to electricity bills continue to surface, recurring technical faults and outages have emerged as another major concern for consumers.
Residents said frequent power cuts have become a recurring problem in several localities and called for stronger preventive maintenance of feeders, transformers and other components of the distribution network.
The prolonged outage has also caused concern among families as half-yearly examinations are currently being held in schools. Students preparing for their examinations reportedly faced difficulties maintaining their study schedules during the power disruption.
Consumers have also questioned the effectiveness of the 1912 electricity helpline. Some residents alleged that complaints lodged through the helpline do not always receive timely responses or clear information about the nature of faults and the expected restoration time.
For residents facing extended outages, the absence of regular updates has added to their difficulties, particularly when disruptions continue for several hours.
Consumers have urged TSECL to examine areas witnessing repeated faults and strengthen preventive maintenance to reduce the frequency of outages. They have also called for quicker field-level response and more effective handling of complaints received through the 1912 helpline.
Residents said reliable electricity supply and prompt restoration in the event of faults are essential, particularly during examination periods when students depend on uninterrupted power for preparation.
The recurring disruptions have prompted consumers to seek a more permanent solution to technical problems and improved accountability in the maintenance and grievance-redressal system, rather than relying primarily on restoration after prolonged outages.
