An outsourced electricity operator in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district switched off all feeders at a substation during a protest over his dismissal, cutting power to hundreds of villages for about an hour before he climbed an electric pole and was persuaded to come down.
Abhinendra Shukla, who worked as an outsourced electricity operator, climbed a pole at the Podi-Pithorabad substation under the Unchehra electricity distribution area around noon. The incident took place after he allegedly shut down every feeder connected to the substation, affecting rural consumers between 12 pm and 1 pm.
Shukla alleged that he had been removed from service without a valid reason despite performing his duties responsibly. The available account does not provide details of the order under which he was removed, the agency that employed him or the formal process being followed for his possible reinstatement.
Police personnel and electricity department officials reached the substation after Shukla climbed the pole and remained amid the wires. Officials approached him cautiously because any mistake during the rescue effort could have caused serious consequences.
“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,” Podi police outpost in-charge Rajendra Prasad told the Times of India.
The report also described the negotiations and persuasion by police and electricity officials as lasting nearly an hour before Shukla climbed down. Officials cautioned him against taking such action again and assured him that he would be taken back to work.
The incident temporarily affected the electricity supply of consumers across the substation’s feeder network. Because the operator switched off the feeders before climbing the pole, officials had to manage both the restoration of supply and the effort to bring him safely back to the ground.
Power supply to the affected villages was restored after Shukla came down. The report did not specify the number of villages or consumers affected, identify the electricity distribution company responsible for the substation, or state whether a formal inquiry had been ordered into the shutdown.
The circumstances of Shukla’s removal and the process for his proposed return to work were not immediately available. The next steps will depend on how the electricity authorities document the disruption, address the employment dispute and manage the safety concerns arising from the protest.
