The power disruption, albeit for a brief period, at the historic Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada recently has left Andhra Pradesh power minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar red-faced.
The minister came under attack from the opposition YSR Congress party and also received a reprimand from chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, for the administrative failure and insensitivity towards devotees’ sentiments.
The issue was also raised during a recent cabinet meeting, where the chief minister reportedly expressed displeasure, questioning ministers over the handling of such sensitive matters.
On Tuesday, Gottipati acknowledged that power supply to the temple had indeed been disrupted. However, he clarified that the outage lasted only 15–20 minutes and was promptly restored by officials.
The minister said an immediate inquiry had been ordered and a report sought. He assured that responsibility would be fixed and action taken against those found at fault, describing the incident as the result of a minor coordination lapse.
According to official sources, the power outage occurred due to a coordination failure between the endowments department and the electricity department.
Sources said Gottipati reportedly expressed strong displeasure with officials over the incident and directed the Discom chairman and managing director to initiate disciplinary action against the employee responsible.
“You put me in an embarrassing position during the Cabinet meeting. Why did the Durga Temple Executive Officer speak in a manner that provoked electricity staff? At the same time, cutting power supply and causing inconvenience to devotees is unacceptable,” the minister reportedly told officials.
He stressed that sensitive issues must be handled cautiously and that any problem should be escalated to senior officials instead of unilateral decisions being taken at lower levels.