Bengaluru : The Energy Department has launched a unique contest to replace the word ‘lineman/linewoman’ with a term that can better describe their work and effort. The participant with the best suggestion can expect an ‘attractive gift’, officials in the state energy department said

The emergence of linemen/linewomen coincides with the growth and spread of electricity supply in Karnataka. Gajana Sharma, a former Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) employee, says the term ‘lineman’ came into being in 1905, the year in which Bengaluru got power supply.

Linemen and women work very hard to keep the electricity supply lines operational, said Energy Minister D.K.Shivkumar, who devised this contest. Karnataka has over 20,000 line men and women who are part of five electricity companies.

So, how would you describe the men and women who ensure that the bulbs in our homes and workplaces keep burning come rain or sunshine? Options are open for suggestions and if more than one suggestion is found to be good, the winner will be picked through a lucky draw. The last date for submission of suggestions is July 20.