SHILLONG, April 22: An end to the blame game in MeECL seems highly improbable as the Council employees have now rallied to throw brickbats at the authorities over alleged wrongdoings which cost the public sector undertaking (PSU) dearly.
Another power reforms policy has supposedly been initiated by the MeECL for outsourcing manpower for operation and maintenance of as many as 56 numbers of 33/11 KV sub-stations under the Meghalaya Power Distribution Company Limited (MePDCL).
With regard to this supposed policy, the MePDCL authorities had proposed to the CMD to appoint contractual workers to man the 56 new sub-stations, insiders had revealed.
However, the proposal was turned down by the CMD, who instead allegedly desired to outsource the manpower from a Noida-based firm at ‘abnormally higher rates’.
Sources informed that in order to show that this outsourcing will be beneficial to the corporation, the CMD instructed one PP Kar (SE Projects) to prepare the requirement of manpower for the 33/11 KV sub-stations. It was learnt from reliable sources that an exaggerated requirement of manpower was prepared, which is not required for the sub-stations up to 33 KV level.
Sources informed that there was a ‘Techno Commercial Proposal’ dated January 29, 2021, for the works ‘Operation & Maintenance for 56 numbers 33/11 KV Manned and Unmanned Sub-Stations under Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited’ from M/s Broadcasting Engineering Consultants India Limited, Noida.
They alleged that the CMD had flouted the rule by not floating any Expression of Interest (EoI) but straight away issued the Letter of Intent (LOI) on February 19, 2021, to the company at the rate of Rs 3,75,000 per month per sub-station excluding GST.
It is said that the contract is for a period of 10 years with year on year escalation of 5 per cent, while the actual expenses per month per sub-station is Rs 1,20,000 only.
Most of the sub-stations under MePDCL are being manned by contractual workers with few regular employees. Many local youths, who have completed the electrician course from industrial training institutes and possessed the requisite LT and HT licenses, are being engaged as contractual workers by the MePDCL.
They said that the ‘Reforms policy for Outsourcing of Manpower’ will not only result in huge financial burden on the cash-strapped MeECL but it goes against the objective of the state government to generate employment for the youths.
“Such unpopular policy will create an influx from outside the state as there will be over 600 men that require to run the 56 sub-stations. The officers and employees of MeECL are eager to hear for a categorical statement from the power minister and the CMD on the intent and need to bring people from outside the state to man the sub-stations when there is no dearth of manpower within the state,” the employees said.
When contacted, the MeECL CMD, Arunkumar Kembhavi, said that this is another baseless allegation bereft of any facts, while adding that the same vested interests who have looted the MeECL, particularly in sub-stations, are now against any reforms in the corporation.
“In the last few years, we have set up more than 50 new sub-stations under different schemes — IPDS, SPA, NERPSIP, DDUGJY etc — many of which are already charged but due to lack of manpower they are not in use thus denying the rural population of Meghalaya uninterrupted supply of electricity and voltage stability. No steps have been taken all these years by MeECL to commission these substations thus the assets have been lying around for many years,” Kembhavi said.
He informed that there are three shifts in a sub-station and it needs 10-12 people, both regular and contractual employees including junior engineers, linemen, chowkidars, cleaners, etc, while adding that the expenditure per 33 KV sub-station is more than Rs 7 lakh per month.
“We would have had to recruit more than 600 people. But the government has put an embargo on all fresh recruitment in MeECL last year,” he said
Now when assets are ready to serve the public, the MeECL has decided to outsource the operation and maintenance, he said, adding that they had two options, either to outsource to a private player like MeECL has done earlier for 132 kV transmission lines at exorbitant cost or give it to a central government PSU with experience of doing similar work in other states.
“So we chose to bring a ‘mini ratna’ PSU — BECIL — which is handling thousands of substations in Uttar Pradesh. This PSU has world-class technology and expertise in energy accounting and auditing; this move is expected to plug all leakages and thefts that are currently happening right under the nose of these vested interests. As per the terms, this PSU will hire only local youths and their service conditions including NPS and everything are taken care of by the PSU. Hence, there will be no liability on MeECL and there won’t be any demand to regularise these employees in future,” he added.
The MeECL CMD also said that in terms of pricing, MeECL will be benefited by more than 40 per cent savings in monthly expenditure per substation since the PSU procures materials directly from the source instead of local suppliers.
