Hundreds of irate local people on Thursday locked the lathikata 33/11 KV substation, after switching off all breakers, resulting in power cut for 8,000 families of the locality, in protest against disconnection of power to about 50 villages under lathikata and Gurundia block since May 19.
The electricity supply company, Wesco, has not been able to restore power supply to these villages, due to non clearance from railway authority, since the cable damaged has to pass through the railway track. The irate locals threatened that they would stage a rail blockade on June 19.
"Although, our officials attempted them to convince them that we are not able to provide electricity only because the railway authority have not given them necessary permission, they did not listen," said
Superintending engineer, Wesco, Rourkela AN Meher. "Since the issue headed for a law and order situation, we had informed the police," Meher added.
Sources said the irate locals also submitted a letter to Sub Collector Panposh, intimating that they would stage a rail blockade, protesting railway's inaction for giving the necessary clearance to Wesco for repairing the cable. The copy of the letter signed by about 500 villagers was also marked to the Sundargarh Collector, the Rourkela SP and the Divisional Railway Manager, Chakradharpur.
Railway officials on the other hand claimed that allowing the cable to go under the railway track has to pass through the safety protocol.