Encourage digital payments for avoiding Covid infection: CMD Haranatha Rao

Nellore: APSPDCL Chairman and Managing Director H Haranatha Rao suggested to employees of the EROs to encourage online payment of power bills to avoid direct contact with the consumers. Interacting with the officials of Nellore, Chittoor, Kurnool, Kadapa, and Anantapur on Monday, he said around 270 employees of the Discom were affected by the virus in the region and 7 died in Nellore, Chittoor, Kurnool districts, and also at Corporate office in Tirupati city. He said 82 employees in Nellore, 77 in Chittoor, 32 at Corporate office in Tirupati, 31 in Kurnool, 22 in Kadapa, and 27 in Anantapur were infected by the virus and 3 from Nellore, 2 from Chittoor, one from Kurnool and one from the Corporate office in Tirupati succumbed to the disease.

He directed the officials to take all measures for the safety of employees during the peak pandemic and asked them to follow strictly follow guidelines and also getting vaccine. He said they had directed the officials concerned for taking measures for 100 per cent vaccination in the discom jurisdiction. The CMD also asked the officials to supply seamless supply of power to Covid hospitals, oxygen plants, facemask making units, and sanitiser manufacturing plants.

Haranatha Rao said employees and officials of discom provided services working hard last year during the first wave and asked them to focus more this year too as the second wave has been vulnerable. Two nodal officers have been appointed for each division and district for resolving issues of employees and asked them to contact the nodal officers for any support, he suggested.

He asked the employees to wear facemasks, use sanitiser and follow frequent hand washing for preventing the infection. He also directed to sanitise the offices frequently and see that employees should work on a rotation basis and suggested to engage only 50 per cent employees per day. He proposed to donate a one-day salary to the CMRF for supporting the efforts of the government in controlling the pandemic. Directors Kaladhar Rao, V N Babu, Superintending Engineers of all districts, senior officials and leaders of trade unions were present.