THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has issued orders abolishing 799 posts of meter reader/spot biller on the ground the posts are unnecessary with the advent of new technology such as ‘smart’ meters.The board had run into trouble over the 799 vacancies after the PSC rank-holders approached the Kerala High Court accusing the power utility of failing to report vacancies to the PSC.
In early January, the court had ordered the KSEB to report the vacancies to the PSC. In a order dated February 23, the KSEB said its decision to abolish the post will be subject to the outcome of the writ appeal before the court. The PSC too will be informed about the decision, the KSEB said.
The row over the 799 vacancies had occurred at a time when the KSEB was already at loggerheads with the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission(KSERC) over twin issues of rising employee costs and excess manpower. The KSEB’s rationale for abolishing the posts is once the smart meters are introduced, manual meter reading will become redundant.
The company has introduced Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) for meter reading in all its field offices in the distribution wing. As a result, the job profile of meter readers has changed and now meter reading can be done by KSEB employees belonging to any category.‘’Moreover, a phased reduction of the existing vacancies of meter readers is badly needed with the introduction of meter readers.
“So any further recruitment by the PSC will hamper the smooth phasing out of redundant posts of meter readers and will result in extra financial burden to the already ailing company,’’ the KSEB said.Smart meters, which will allow the KSEB ‘remote readings’, are to be installed as part of the tripartite MoU involving the state government, Union Power Ministry and the KSEB for the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme for propping up power distribution companies in the public sector. The KSEB has already received the go-ahead to purchase five lakh smart meters.