THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEB) has been caught in a fix with the state government asking the board to present the proposal on restructuring immediately.
The board had originally proposed a restructuring plan in 2017-18, but it was put on hold by the state government until now.
But since then there have been significant changes within the KSEB, including the emergence of a new section focused on renewable energy and energy savings. The proposed restructuring would affect over 1.33 crore consumers by placing existing section offices under subdivision offices, giving officials more responsibilities that may negatively impact consumers.
“In the distribution section, when the section offices are being brought under sub-division offices, it is the consumers who will be at the receiving end. Three to four section offices will come under a sub-division office putting the staff on tenterhooks as they will not be able to cater to the demands of the consumers with due diligence”, said a trade union office-bearer.
Trade unions, including the INTUC and CITU, have expressed concern that the restructuring is an excuse to downsize staff, particularly workmen. They have submitted a proposal to the board claiming that 2836 employees belonging to the maintenance wing alone will lose their jobs when the restructuring is implemented, allegedly to create more officer-level posts.
KSEBL Chairman Rajan Khobragade has promised to address the concerns of the trade unions in the next version of the restructuring proposal. C Suresh Kumar, Director (Distribution, Supply Chain Management, and Information Technology) told TNIE that field staff will not be terminated as linemen posts will remain intact.
“With the implementation of the smart metre project, the metre readers’ jobs are likely to be affected. In the case of the section offices’ role being brought down under sub-division offices, a political decision has to be taken which would take time. The board will be taking the trade unions into confidence before going ahead,” said Suresh Kumar.