New Delhi: Gone are the days when fixing fuses and other electricity-related issues was a male domain.
India’s Priti Bahurupi, who repairs transformers and power lines, is among the first lineswomen in the country to storm the traditionally male bastion.
At 27, she has shown that a woman can have many sides to her personality.
“I did not want to remain overshadowed by stereotypes. But when I decided to join the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Warud, Maharashtra, to train as an engineer, shockingly, the opposition first began at home. Both my parents were awed and annoyed. Their concern was — what would people say about a girl working as an electrician,” Priti says.
However, deciding not to let anything pull her down, Priti went ahead with the training.
She reached a key milestone by being selected among the 2,206 women shortlisted for phase-wise recruitment as line staff by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) and was put on the job at Malkapur in Buldhana district.
Before that, Priti was the youngest sarpanch (head) of Rajura Bazaar village in Amravati’s Warud district. She was 24, when chosen for the post in a village with over 10,000 people and was instrumental in setting up a crematorium and providing better medical care.
She speaks to Gulf News.
What made you choose your line of work?
Before I enrolled for the ITI technical course, I wondered why most women never thought of becoming electricians. We have women in the railways working as drivers, airline pilots and going up in space. But this field was still untouched. I thought it would be a challenge to take up such a job and applied when MSEDCL had vacancies.
What was your parents’ reaction?
They were angry and unhappy with my choice. I tried to explain but, when they became adamant, I decided to go ahead and followed my heart. When I was chosen for recruitment, my father, who is a farmer, was very worried about how I would stay alone, as my line of work would take me about 150km away from home. And until then, I had never stayed alone in life. All I could do then was to assure my parents that I would succeed in whatever I had undertaken and do them proud. Barely six months on the job, my parents cannot stop gushing about my achievements now. In fact, my father makes it a point to visit me at least once every month.
What kind of work are you supposed to do as a lineswoman?
We have been hired on a contract basis for three years, to be confirmed based on performance. Our training began with going on house calls to collect electricity dues, which I do quite diligently. Although climbing poles to fix power lines was not a part of the training, I learnt it on my own. We received training at Amravati, Nashik and Sangli and it entailed instructions on how to handle difficult assignments, for instance, maintenance of transformers and handling of electric cables.
How would you describe a day in the life of a lineswoman?
My day begins at 9am, with my boss handing over a list of consumers who have not paid their electricity bills for more than two months. I take that and visit each house. My area is 16 DTC (distribution transformer) metering and I have to interact with consumers, giving them two days’ time to pay up. Most times it is the housewives, whom I have to tell about the arrears that are pending. Without fail, all of them clear their dues. Initially, it would come as a surprise to them that a woman was at their doorstep instead of a linesman. And many of them would discuss my work offering me tea and sharing their problems.
After collecting the arrears, I assist the linesmen in handling electricity poles work or attending calls and fixing fuses. Though more often I do not have to accompany them, I like to do the field job, which enables me to learn new things. For instance, when a linesman works atop a pole, I wait below to hand over instruments like pliers or wires. When all these jobs are over, I work on the computer and assist my boss in secretarial work.
Do the other women go through the same grind?
No. Instead of tending to their job, they are more bothered about what I am doing! Many complain that because of me, they too are expected to work more. They do not understand that I am not forced to do all kinds of works and rather enjoy doing it. In fact, I feel fortunate that I am even getting to learn to operate a computer. Another qualm they have is why I wear the uniform of a linesman, even though it is not officially mandatory. Instead of feeling good about it, their line of thinking is that people stare at us.
So, how do you tackle all this?
Facing adversities in life has become a routine, so I do not pay much heed. All through, my immediate boss, Junior Engineer Ulhas Wagh, who takes me along on field visits and personally trains me to work as a lineswoman, has supported me. He tells me to approach him directly if I have any problem and not to pay attention to people who have a herd mentality. I consider him as a rare non-egoistic man, who reaches out to people to assist them.
Are your male colleagues as supportive?
Some ridicule me and refuse to take me along on field visits saying it is not a woman’s job. But my boss tells me to be a go-getter and fight for my rights. This has taught me not to cow down whatever the problem I am forced to face.
Normally, people are afraid to touch electricity wires for fear of being electrocuted. What are you scared of?
My only fear is going back home from work when it is dark. I find it quite risky. I am single and my parents also keep worrying. They want me to marry, but I have made it clear that I will do so only when I find a like-minded person.
