The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) launched a monsoon readiness strategy on Tuesday, May 05. The plan includes hiring temporary workers and setting up a dedicated call centre system. This comes after repeated complaints about slow response during power outages and service issues in heavy rain.
Officials said the power supply division has been facing a staffing shortage since 2012. Around 150 employees retire every year, which has created a gap in manpower. In earlier monsoon seasons, nearly 800 temporary workers were brought in to handle faults and public complaints. They will also do repair work, cable laying, and excavation activities to manage faults more quickly.
As per a report by Indian Express, Chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao said in a committee meeting on Tuesday that the system will be improved before the rains. There will be a better response to outages and infrastructure problems.
The plan includes expanding the call centre network in the next few months. At present, there are 11 call centres. These will be expanded in all depots within two to three months. A new system is also being introduced to manage complaint handling and fault response more efficiently.
Until the full system is ready, temporary staff will be deployed. Around 300 employees will be assigned to handle complaint calls and coordinate repair work. The full call centre system will be operational within three months. Till then, personnel will be sent directly to handle issues as they come in.
The plan has also faced criticism as the system is already understaffed. Currently, one person is handling multiple phone lines, sometimes up to six at once. As per sources, the lines remain busy and complaints often go unanswered. People do not get any response during the night.
The new system will be decentralised through the city. This will improve communication between field teams and complaint logging units.
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