No transparency over Tangedco's Minnagam contract, alleges OPS

In a statement, the AIADMK leader said that the concept of addressing public grievances through helpline has been in operations since 2003 and helpline with number 1912 has been serving the purpose until recently. The new DMK government had added a new contractor to the existing grievance address system and had named the call centre Minnagam with a helpline number 9498794987. The DMK government claims that through the newly launched Minnagam about 8,000 daily complaints from EB consumers are attended. The fact is that the database of three crores TNEB consumers have been shared with a DMK contractor, OPS said.

Further, the Tangedco spends Rs 12 crore annually for the operation of minnagam for which there is no transparency or tender details shared in the public domain, OPS said.

The previous helpline 1912 was efficient and the operation and expenditure were dealt with a transparent manner. The Electricity Department had also sacked staff who were working in the 1912 helpline centre. The new helpline grievance minnagam centre through the contractor had recruited 195 staff to work on round the clock shifts, OPS noted.

Chief Minister M K Stalin should intervene and direct the Tangedco to share the details of the minnagam contract in the public domain and also ensure that the database of EB consumers is protected. OPS also urged the Chief minister to provide job security for those who are working in the 1912 TNEB helpline.