Electricians, plumbers grope in dark to obtain e-passes online

Trichy: Though the district administration has allowed plumbers, electricians and air conditioner mechanics to resume work after obtaining e-passes from the authorities, the skilled workers are groping in the dark to get the passes. The skilled workers were asked to get the e-passes online, but the workers who are not so tech-savvy find it difficult to resume their work without obtaining the passes.

For more than a month, the service of plumbers, electricians and AC mechanics was unavailable due to the lockdown restrictions. Even as there is a need for the skilled workers in the households, electricians and plumbers were not ready to attend to the complaints fearing police action. Meanwhile, by relaxing the lockdown from May 4, the district administration has ordered the skilled workers to apply for e-passes online at ww.tnepass.tnega.org and continue their work. However, this has not gone well with the electricians and plumbers who are not so tech-savvy in completing the online formalities. “I tried several times to download the e-pass but the website shows error. Not all of us have a smart mobile phone. We have planned to seek the help of a friend who owns a browsing centre for applying for the pass,” G Panneerselvam, an electrician from Palakkarai, said.

Without e-passes, the skilled workers will face action during the lockdown. In the absence of e-passes, electricians and plumbers have planned to make use of bicycles for reaching worksites. But such an alternative effort will consume a lot of time. Meanwhile, district administration sources said that people should make use of the websites for applying e-passes. “No e-pass will be provided at the district collectorate,” the official added.


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