Mob attacks TNEB office, staff assaulted

CHENNAI: A group of about 20 persons barged into the TNEB office in Nungambakkam, broke telephones and assaulted the operator Suryakumar on Friday night. According to TNEB workers, the group alleged that when they had called up the office nobody attended to their calls. A case has been registered against the group's attack at the Thousand Lights police station.
In response, TNEB workers struck work on Saturday morning.There was no power supply in parts of Nungambakkam and Thousand Lights.
TNEB workers said that even if there was a genuine power failure, people targeted them for no fault of theirs. "This is the sixth case this year and about ten such incidents happen in a year,'' said a worker.
Three months ago, a TNEB worker digging on College Road was assaulted by the counsellor and his men despite the worker having written orders to dig the road. TNEB staff alleged that the councillor's men demanded money for allowing them to dig the road.
On Tuesday, a group of men belonging to one political party beat up TNEB staff in Tondiarpet because another political party was airing a programme on the Sri Lankan issue, which affected power supply in many areas.