S Gopal Puri
Keylong: The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board has suspended an Executive Engineer posted in the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti for dereliction of duty and proceeding on unauthorized leave at a time when the region was grappling with electricity disruptions during monsoon disasters.
According to official orders (Letter No. SECTT/V\&I/8-3012/2025-935-46), Executive Engineer Vijay Kumar Thakur was placed under suspension for failing to follow directions, remaining absent without prior approval for over 30 days, and allegedly misbehaving with a woman officer.
Deputy Commissioner Lahaul had earlier flagged complaints to higher authorities regarding the officer’s prolonged absence and negligence amid public distress. Despite repeated instructions to resume duty in Keylong, Thakur allegedly continued to remain in Manali, citing road closure as an excuse, even though the Rohtang-Koksar road had been reopened by August 30.
Sources said that when asked to report at Keylong by September 1, the officer refused to comply, preferring to operate from Manali on his own discretion. Even on September 2, when again directed to join duty at the district headquarters, Thakur allegedly declined, prompting the Board to serve him a suspension letter and initiate a departmental inquiry.
The absence of the officer caused severe inconvenience in Lahaul-Spiti, where residents faced prolonged power outages during the heavy rains and landslides of the past weeks. The disruption affected not only households but also essential services, including the Regional Hospital in Keylong, where patients reportedly suffered due to irregular electricity supply.
District officials emphasized that while all other departments had been working round the clock in disaster relief and restoration operations, the power supply department struggled due to its absent head. “At a time when people were expecting timely restoration of power, the officer’s negligence worsened the crisis,” said an official source.
The Board has now constituted an inquiry into the matter and assured strict action as per service rules. The suspension, officials said, was necessary to uphold accountability and discipline within the department during emergencies.
