TNEB to Recommision Retired Employees as Step-down Transformers

CHENNAI — In an attempt to reduce costs while improving infrastructure, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board is planning to call back retired employees, who will be posted as step-down transformers.

The willingness application notice stated that employees who retired as AEE and above can apply for the post of 230kV transformer, while others can apply for lower voltages.

"Anything but staying at home interacting with my wife," said a retired EE who wished to remain unnamed for obvious reasons. "I'm extremely thankful to the board for coming up with something like this," he added.

Not Everyone Is Charged Up

The sentiment, however, is not shared by all. Varadharajan T, organising secretary of the Tamil Nadu Unemployed Engineers Association, said the government is anti-youth in its approach by calling back retirees while thousands of eligible engineers remain unemployed.

What's Next

With mounting debt and degrading infrastructure, the TNEB is taking desperate measures to ensure power is supplied to every last household — but at what cost? Will deserving engineering graduates get their turn, or will retirees continue to be used as a cheap resource? Only time can tell.