Tuesday, 08 OCTOBER 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
After observing consistent negligence in the repairing and maintenance of street lights in the city by the EESL company, the Dehradun district magistrate and administrator of the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD), Savin Bansal has officially handed over this responsibility to the MCD. Besides this, 35 teams equipped with vehicles will be dispatched on Tuesday to begin ward-wise repairs of the streetlights as per the DM’s order.
The DM said that the authorities have been receiving numerous complaints regarding the large number of faulty streetlights, with the situation exacerbated by the lack of response from the company responsible, leading to a backlog of 3,000 to 4,000 unresolved complaints. According to the contract, the company was reportedly required to fix any issues within 48 hours of receiving a complaint, which was not being done. Taking serious cognisance of the company’s inefficiency, Bansal summoned the CEO of EESL and issued a stern warning, along with a notice of potential legal action.
Bansal informed that the company’s operations were hindered by a lack of transparency, as its call centre and payment division were based in Delhi, making it difficult to manage the situation locally. This inefficiency was denting the reputation of the MCD, as the public holds the corporation accountable. After reviewing the situation and seeing no improvement, the DM decided to take action and transferred the repair duties to the corporation. He handed over the responsibility of streetlight repairs to MCD on Monday after conducting a thorough assessment of the city’s streetlight maintenance system. However, new streetlights will continue to be managed by EESL until December 2024. Bansal has also directed the MCD to prepare rate contracts for new lights and equipment. Bansal also informed that 35 teams equipped with vehicles will be dispatched on Tuesday to begin ward-wise repairs of the streetlights. These teams will report to the MCD every morning and after completing their work for the day, where attendance will be taken to ensure accountability.
