CHENNAI: Finance and Electricity Minister Thangam Thennarasu’s response to a YouTuber on Twitter about the ongoing power outage has sparked anger from several social media users. Some of them wondered if the minister would only respond to celebrities and social media influencers, but not ordinary citizens.
It all started when YouTuber Irfan’s View complained on Twitter that the constant power outage marked Tangedco’s official handle on the second day. “Yesterday (July 14) there was no electricity for a whole day. No power for over two hours today. No one takes part in the phone calls either. Anyone in Sithalapakkam or Perumbakkam facing these issues,” he tweeted.
Within four minutes, Tangedco’s Twitter username responded to his complaint. “Sorry, we have forwarded your complaint to our relevant department so that early action can be taken,” it tweeted. Ironically, Tangedco’s name wasn’t aimed at reaching the consumer count of Irfan’s view in order to respond to his power outage complaint.
In response to the complaint, Electricity Minister Thangam Thennarasu tweeted that the power supply had been shut down due to maintenance work on the feeder line. “As a result, the distribution transformer was switched off yesterday. However, I have advised my officials not to permanently cut off power and have also advised them to ensure an uninterrupted power supply. I will write a review tomorrow. Thank you for bringing this to my attention,” he tweeted on Sunday.
The Minister had also responded to top cameraman PC Sreeram about voltage fluctuations at his home and office in Santhome and Alwarpet.
Many Twitter users trolled him for being selective in responding to the complaints. Harish L. said no action was taken as a result of his tweet, citing negligence. “We had great appreciation for you, sir. Even ordinary people, even our citizens, sir, for your kind information and don’t be biased,” he said.
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