Visakhapatnam: Despite instructions of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, some employees of the EPDCL and those hired by the EPDCL are collecting kickbacks from cyclone hit residents to restore power connections.
It may recalled that Mr Naidu had directed officials to restore power connections in the entire district within next four days, but some people are ignoring his orders and collecting money for the services.
Expressing concern over the plight of the cyclone, Mr Naidu has camped in the affected areas and personally been supervising the relief and restoration work.
The Chief Minister has ordered deployment of over 10,700 workers from across the state to speed up the power connections.
However, villagers say that the power utilities staff has been collecting Rs 100 to Rs 200 per household. Without power for over a week, the villagers have paid up as they see no other alternative. Some of the women who approached the officials at substation to lodge a complaint were shooed away.
They told reporters that only 20 per cent of the houses were given power connections and according to them, it might take another 10 days to complete the task.
Sources said a consumer in Sompeta town lodged a complaint with the senior official that the staff had collected Rs 3,000 to provide power connection to Rangamma quarters.
Two women from Rekula Colony of Sompeta — Aksha and Jayasri — said they along with two others paid Rs 100 each but no power has been given till date.
