BHUBANESWAR: Even as temperature rises alarmingly and unscheduled power cuts across the State compounds misery of people, the committees formed at the district-level to oversee the progress of power sector schemes and maintenance of sub-transmission and distribution networks barely meet.
It may sound ludicrous but the fact is many elected representatives who are members of the committee are not even aware of its existence.
As per the directive of the Ministry of Power, the State government reconstituted the District Electricity Committee (DEC) on September 16, 2021 to review and coordinate overall development of power supply infrastructure in the districts in accordance with the schemes of government.
In the reconstituted DEC, the senior most MP of a district is the chairperson and other MPs are co-chairpersons. The district collector is the member secretary and the chief engineer/superintending engineer of the distribution company (discom) concerned is the convener.
All the MLAs and zilla parishad chairperson of the district are members of the committee while senior most representatives of central public undertakings (CPSUs) of Ministry Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) located in the district or their nominated officials for the district are members.
Ask Congress leader and Balangir MLA Narasingha Mishra and he has not heard of the DEC.
"I have never heard of such a committee in my district. Neither was I informed by the district administration or the discom (TPWODL) about existence of DEC in Balangir district nor was I ever invited to attend any meeting of the committee," said the senior leader.
The committee though is required to meet periodically at least once in three months at district headquarters to review and coordinate overall development of power supply infrastructure, development and maintenance of sub-transmission and distribution network and impact of the works on quality and reliability of power supply.
It is mandated to exercise oversight over standards of performance and consumer services, complaints and grievance redressal mechanisms. However, its existence remains a mystery for most. Chairperson of the Balangir committee Sangeeta Singhdeo also said she was never invited by the Collector of Balangir to any DEC meeting.
Similar was the response from MLAs including members of the ruling BJD from other districts too. However, a BJP MLA from Loisingha of the district said he had attended the meeting once before COVID-19 hit the State.
The DEC has not met for more than two years, he added.Kalahandi district, though, is an exception where DEC meets at regular intervals. BJP MP from the district Basanta Panda said he had attended the last meeting held a couple of months back.