Uniforms, ID cards mandatory for power department staff across Karnataka

In a determination aimed astatine preventing fraud and improving nationalist trust, the Karnataka authorities has directed each tract unit moving nether the State’s Energy Department to compulsorily deterioration uniforms and authoritative individuality cards portion connected duty.

The bid applies to employees of each powerfulness proviso companies (ESCOMs), including BESCOM, HESCOM, MESCOM, JESCOM and CESC, covering linemen, measure collectors, metre readers and different tract unit visiting consumers’ premises.

The determination follows a practice submitted to the Energy Minister by State Police Complaints Authority subordinate Mohan Kumar Danappa, highlighting rising incidents of impersonation and nationalist interest implicit fake energy section staff.

Hubballi case

The contented gained attraction aft a caller incidental successful Hubballi’s Anand Nagar area, wherever a antheral allegedly posed arsenic an energy measure collector and collected wealth from residents successful a azygous resembling that of the section staff. Alert residents grew suspicious and handed him implicit to the police. A lawsuit was subsequently registered astatine Old Hubballi Police Station.

Officials said specified incidents had created fearfulness among consumers, with adjacent genuine energy section employees facing problems of suspicion portion visiting homes for metre reading, measure postulation and attraction work.

Wear ID, look sharp

In response, the Energy Department has issued strict instructions to each ESCOMs, making it mandatory for unit to deterioration prescribed uniforms and show government-issued individuality cards prominently during work hours.

The section has besides directed employees to support a neat and disciplined appearance, including due grooming of hairsbreadth and beard, portion interacting with consumers. Staff visiting households person been instructed to intelligibly place themselves and behave successful a mode that inspires assurance among the public.

Awareness campaigns

To curb fraud involving fake measure collectors, metre readers and enactment staff, the authorities has besides ordered consciousness campaigns crossed ESCOM jurisdictions. Local offices person been instructed to amended consumers connected verifying authoritative individuality cards and identifying genuine section personnel.

Awareness initiatives volition beryllium carried retired done societal media platforms, FM radio, section tv channels, newspapers and nationalist announcements.

Officials expressed anticipation that the caller measures would trim nationalist anxiousness and assistance forestall cheating cases involving impersonators posing arsenic energy section staff.