Sullia: Residents of Jalsoor and Kanakamajalu villages in Sullia taluk staged protests after electricity supply remained disrupted following the alleged locking of a Gang Operated Switch (GOS) by Mangaluru Electricity Supply Company (MESCOM) at Mavinakatte near Adkar-Vinobanagar in Jalsoor village.
Power disruption triggers public outrage
The outage began on Saturday afternoon after the electricity supply line serving Jalsoor and Kanakamajalu villages from the Puttur side reportedly developed a technical fault.
According to local residents, such disruptions are usually addressed by restoring electricity through an alternate power line from the Sullia side using the Gang Operated Switch (GOS) installed at Mavinakatte. However, residents alleged that officials of the Sullia MESCOM division locked the GOS, preventing the alternate line from being used.
The decision reportedly left both villages without electricity for an extended period, prompting angry residents to gather and demand immediate restoration of power.
Residents question decision to lock alternate supply route
Residents claimed that MESCOM officials cited concerns that diverting electricity through the alternate line could affect power supply to the Sullia region.
Locals questioned why the switching facility remained inaccessible despite being available specifically for emergency situations such as line faults. They argued that restoring electricity through the alternate route would have minimised inconvenience to residents until the fault on the main line was repaired.
The prolonged outage affected households and daily activities in both villages, leading to growing public resentment.
Protesters demand immediate restoration
As the power supply remained suspended, residents protested at the site and demanded that the lock on the Gang Operated Switch be removed without further delay.
They urged MESCOM authorities to prioritise restoring electricity to the affected villages instead of keeping the alternate supply route closed.
Residents also called for greater transparency from the electricity distribution company regarding the reasons behind the decision and sought assurances that similar situations would not recur in future.
MESCOM yet to respond
Attempts to contact MESCOM officials for their response were reportedly unsuccessful.
The electricity distribution company had not issued any official statement on the incident or clarified the reasons for locking the Gang Operated Switch at the time of reporting.
With power supply continuing to remain disrupted, residents are awaiting immediate intervention from MESCOM authorities to restore normal electricity supply to Jalsoor and Kanakamajalu villages.