The office of the Deputy Director of Education (DDE) here plunged into darkness and chaos on Thursday after the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) disconnected power supply over unpaid bills.
The power disconnection hit the DDE office hard, especially as dozens of sections within the biggest general education office in the district were preparing for the SSLC examinations beginning on March 10.
About 100 computers in the office had to shut down as the power was disconnected around 1.30 p.m. Without power supply, the office functioning virtually ground to a halt.
The KSEB action was widely viewed as instance of vindictiveness by the office superintendent. A request given by DDE Kusumam K.S. not to disconnect the power supply in view of the SSLC examinations and other hectic work towards the end of the current fiscal, was apparently rejected by the KSEB officials.
The KSEB had issued a warning to the DDE office last month when the power bill arrears rose to ₹38,000. As the funds to pay the power bills from the Education Department were delayed, the staff in the DDE office then raised ₹20,000 and paid the KSEB to avoid disconnection.
However, the staff could not help their office this time. The KSEB superintendent visited the DDE office on Thursday morning and threatened to disconnect if the bills were not paid by 2 p.m. However, Ms. Kusumam, in her letter to the Assistant Engineer, KSEB, asked the board to give some more time.
Apparently infuriated by the DDE’s letter of request, the KSEB superintendent ordered disconnection of the power supply by 1.30 p.m.
Employees in the DDE office were dismayed by the KSEB action even when several government offices within the collectorate had even larger amounts in arrears.
They said the arrears were usually cleared in instalments, and the offices had an understanding with the KSEB.
