Power dept hires pvt contractors for 23 sub-divisions

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 4

The Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) have hired private contractors for the maintenance and operations of 11-KV and low-tension (LT) transmission lines in 23 subdivisions.

The development has raised the hackles of Power Department’s employees. They are mulling going on an indefinite strike, demanding scrapping of contracts with private players.

“It’s strange that the department will pay Rs 22 lakh to Rs 23 lakh per subdivision per month to each private contractor for the maintenance and operation of lines. The authorities must have spent money on recruiting staff,” said Krishan Kumar Malik, senior vice-president, Haryana Power Engineers’ Association (HPEA).

The private contractors will take care of breakdowns and rectify faults, while government employees will collect dues and handle other departmental issues.

“Why didn’t the authorities recruit employees if they are serious about improving the department’s functioning? We have called a meeting of all employee associations of the department on May 7 in Rohtak to announce our agitation against privatisation and suspension of seven engineers of Faridabad circle,” KD Bansal, president of the association told The Tribune.

Another reason for employees’ anger is that all 23 subdivisions generate high revenue. They said there was no need to give given high-revenue-earning sub-divisions to private contractors.

The authorities, however, said they wanted to provide consumers in high-revenue-earning subdivisions with better facilities as a reward as “reward” for paying bills regularly.

“The authorities know about staff shortage. We have hired contractors to immediately improve our services for consumers who pay bill regularly,” Arun Verma, Managing Director, DHBVN, told The Tribune.