Power Minister’s surprise visit to Jali Power House serve up rude shock

GANGTOK, 12 June: Power Minister DD Bhutia made a surprise visit to the Jali Power House here along NH 31A today and received a rude shock. This, once prestigious power generating units of the State, was found in a rather disconcerting state. The main agenda behind the visit was to find the status of the power house along with the income to expenditure ratio from power generation to staff expenses. The Minister discovered that only two of the six generators at the power station were in working condition. Also, the some of the staff, including seniors, were absent without having taken leave through the “proper channels”. The Minister also heard out the grievances of the staff on duty who complained of not receiving enough support or assistance of their superiors or senior engineers.