Staff from the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO) have requested the Tamil Nadu Government to consider them as Frontline workers because of the uninteruppted work they do despite the rain or sunshine, and especially during the pandemic.
Recently the Tamil Nadu government gave the ‘Fronline workers’ tag to journalists. Earlier only Doctors, Police and Sanitary Workers were given the label. The State Government provides support to these workers if they are admitted in hospital suffering covid while serving the State. Financial compensation is provided to the staff’s family incase of death.
Not less than 100-150 TANGEDCO staff have died due to the pandemic while serving the state but the workers are yet to recognized as Frontline workers,The Federal reported. “Nothing moves if the power supply is cut. Immediately we rush to any place whether there is sunshine or rain, to repair lines and restore power supply,” a chief engineer from TANGEDCO who wishes to remain anonymous told The Federal.
“In hospitals, especially in COVID wards we are working round-the-clock to provide power lest it will create problems for patients. Several of us have been infected with the virus and have died”, he added. “But, several representations to officials and politicians asking us to be treated as frontline workers have failed. No decision has been taken to treat us as frontline workers”
From Linemen to Chief Engineers, all are facing the threat of the pandemic. “The government must reserve a few beds in special hospitals to treat our workers in Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy and big cities in the state. We must also be included as frontline workers” “There is an acute shortage of beds and people are running from pillar to post to find a bed to admit their relatives. Unless there are some beds reserved for TNEB workers, we will continue to lose our colleagues,”