Nagpur: In a strong push for enhanced consumer service, MSEDCL’s Director (Operations & Projects) Sachin Talewar has instructed officials to prioritize direct communication with consumers, ensure transparency in power restoration delays, and actively resolve customer grievances. He emphasized that prompt updates, polite communication, and immediate action can significantly reduce complaint rates.
Talewar was speaking during a comprehensive review meeting of MSEDCL’s five Nagpur zone circles—Nagpur, Gondia, Chandrapur, Akola, and Amravati.
“Effective communication resolves most customer concerns and greatly lowers the number of complaints,” Talewar said. He stressed that any delay in repair work must be immediately communicated to consumers, and failure to restore power on time without valid reasons will not be tolerated.
He directed senior engineers to be present at the sites of major breakdowns to expedite repairs. Furthermore, any planned maintenance that would require a power shutdown must be communicated well in advance to affected customers.
Talewar instructed that special attention should be given when approving shutdowns for maintenance. He clarified that only Superintending Engineers are authorized to permit 11 kV feeder shutdowns, while Chief Engineers must approve 33 kV feeder shutdowns.
“Do not disrupt power in industrial or MIDC areas just for new connections if it affects other consumers. Schedule such connections and maintenance only on designated days, and notify consumers in advance,” Talewar stated. He also emphasized the need to log any technical faults in MSEDCL’s software and send SMS alerts to customers immediately in such cases.
Talewar underscored the need to make MSEDCL’s services more consumer-friendly. He expressed dissatisfaction over employees making the name-change process unnecessarily complex for consumers. “Make it easy for consumers without harassment,” he instructed.
He added that smart meters will allow direct auditing of power reliability at the consumer level, which will enhance service quality. Minor transformer and breaker repairs should be handled locally without delays.
On the issue of bill recovery, Talewar was firm: “There are only two options—recover dues in full or disconnect the defaulter’s power supply and record it in the system.”
He also reviewed progress on several key schemes including solar agricultural pumps, Suabhagya Gram, Model Solar Villages, RDSS, and the Chief Minister’s Solar Agriculture Feeder Scheme, and gave necessary directions for timely execution.
The review meeting was attended by Chief Engineers Suhas Rangari (Gondia), Dilip Dodke (Nagpur), Harish Gajbe (Chandrapur), Ashok Salunke (Amravati), Superintending Engineers of all five circles, Executive Engineers from Nagpur Circle, and Sub-Divisional Engineers from Nagpur Urban Division.
