CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation (TNPDCL) has instructed all field officers not to carry out any planned maintenance activities by curtailing power supply until the ongoing school examination are over. The order is applicable to Chennai city and all districts in the state.TNPDCL distribution section offices carry out periodical maintenance work at substations, feeders and transformers in their jurisdiction, for which the power supply would be suspended for at least five hours — from 9am to 2pm — on the days concerned. Sometimes, the power supply resumed much later than the promised time due to the gravity of the work concerned. Maintenance work will be intensified during summer due to the lower probability of unforeseen weather events.However, school students preparing for Class XII and X board exams during the months of Feb, March and April suffered due to day-long power cuts for maintenance work, after which the state govt a few years ago instructed TNPDCL not to carry out maintenance work during the exam season.With board exams for CBSE students already under way, TNPDCL recently issued a circular to all field officers not to suspend power supply for maintenance works during the exam season.In Chennai and its neighbouring districts, maintenance work was stalled on Tuesday. “Permission for regular maintenance work will not be given until April. Only under unavoidable circumstances will the field officers be allowed to suspend power supply to carry out emergency maintenance work,” said a senior TNPDCL official.
