An outsourced electricity operator in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district switched off all feeders at a substation and climbed an electric pole in protest against his dismissal, leaving hundreds of villages without power for about an hour on Saturday. The supply was restored after police and electricity officials persuaded him to come down and assured him that he would be taken back to work.
Abhinendra Shukla climbed the pole at the Podi-Pithorabad substation under the Unchehra electricity distribution area around noon, according to the report. Before climbing, he shut down every feeder connected to the substation. Rural consumers across the feeder network lost electricity between 12 pm and 1 pm.
Shukla, who worked as an outsourced electricity operator, alleged that he had been removed from service without a valid reason despite performing his duties responsibly. The circumstances of his removal and the formal process for any possible reinstatement were not immediately available.
Police personnel and electricity department officials rushed to the substation after the incident. Shukla remained seated amid the electrical wires, prompting officials to approach the situation cautiously because of the risk of electrocution and further disruption to the power network.
“It took nearly half an hour to persuade him to come down. We had to take cautious efforts as a little mistake could have led to serious issues. He was anyhow counselled and brought down, and the supplies to the nearby villages resumed,” Rajendra Prasad, in-charge of the Podi police outpost, told The Times of India.
The report also described the negotiations and persuasion involving police and electricity officials as lasting nearly an hour before Shukla climbed down. Officials cautioned him against repeating the action and assured him that he would be taken back to work.
The incident temporarily affected electricity access across a rural feeder network serving hundreds of villages. It also placed the substation’s operating equipment and the person on the pole at risk while officials worked to restore normal supply. Once Shukla was brought back to the ground, power to the affected villages was restored.
The episode highlights how disputes involving outsourced utility workers can quickly affect essential services when they occur at operational facilities. In this case, the protest was not confined to a workplace disagreement: switching off the feeders interrupted electricity for rural consumers and required an emergency response by police and electricity officials.
The immediate outcome was the restoration of power and an assurance of possible employment reinstatement. Further details on the reasons for Shukla’s removal, the authority responsible for the decision and the terms of his proposed return to work were not available in the report.
