Tamil Nadu: TNEB puts brakes on reverse migration, engages 6,800 at work.

CHENNAI: Even as the state government is making preparations for sending several lakh guest workers back to their native states, state-owned Tangedco and Tantransco have scripted a different story by making about 6,800 guest workers stay back and get engaged in work since Monday, after lockdown restrictions were relaxed. 

The guest workers engaged in Tangedco and Tantransco projects are mostly from Jharkhand and Bihar. There are some from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh also. 

Most of the workers are involved in construction of thermal units in the periphery of Chennai and a few southern districts. 

Guest workers are also involved in constructing sub-stations across the state. All the works have restarted. 

Tantransco has resumed work of six sub-stations with a capacity of 230Kv each. Work of erecting 400Kv transmission line is also progressing in many places. Apart from guest workers, Tantransco employees are also engaged in these works. 

“About 6,800 migrant workers are employed by our contractors at our project sites across the state. We ensured that they were paid wages and given food and shelter. With the easing of lockdown, works have resumed,” TNEB chairman Vikram Kapur told TOI. 

“Some workers were keen on going back to their native villages. But we requested them to wait for the government to make arrangements for their transportation,” said Kapur. 

He said no TNEB project was hit owing to non-availability of workers as of now. 

Sources in Tangedco said guest workers were staying mostly at the project sites all through the lockdown. 

“Since the lockdown came into effect, contractors were told to get all workers medically examined. They were provided masks and sanitizers. Our engineers conducted periodical inspections to ensure they followed social distancing,” said a senior Tangedco project department official. 

“Guest workers are involved in construction of an 800MW unit at North Chennai Thermal plant and two 660MW units at Ennore SEZ. At Udangudi in Tuticorin district, two 660MW units are under construction. At Uppur in Ramanathapuram district, two units of 800MW each are coming up,” said the official.