Moradabad (UP), Jul 21 (PTI) A sudden power outage during the visit of Uttar Pradesh Energy Minister AK Sharma here led to the suspension of five senior electricity department employees, officials said.
The incident occurred on Sunday night at Company Bagh during the inauguration of a newly constructed 5D motion theatre.
As the minister was about to cut the ribbon, the venue was plunged into darkness due to a power cut that lasted nearly 10 minutes. The disruption during the high-profile event drew the minister’s ire, prompting him to order immediate disciplinary action, officials said.
Acting on his instructions, Chief Engineer AK Singhal, Superintending Engineer Sunil Agarwal, Executive Engineer Prince Gautam, SDO Rana Pratap, and JE Lalit Kumar were all suspended.
PVVNL Managing Director Isha Duhan was directed to take swift corrective measures and ensure that such lapses are not repeated.
According to experts, the blackout was caused by a cable fault due to electrical overloading. The technical issue was resolved within 10 minutes.
Director (Personnel) Aashu Kalia told PTI that action against the five officials was taken strictly in accordance with the minister’s directive.
This is the second such incident during the minister’s event this year. In March, a power outage during a public event in the minister’s hometown Mau, forced him to address the gathering in the dark.
Video clips of the incident surfaced on social media, prompting disciplinary action against four power department officials, including the suspension of two.
Sharma had been attending a three-day event marking eight years of BJP rule in the state. PTI COR KIS HIG
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