CM directs electricity board to fill 1,500 posts

Mahesh Chander Sharma

Sundernagar, May 1

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today directed Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) to chalk out a plan for filling 1,500 posts. He was speaking at the 15th general conference of the HPSEBL today.

The Chief Minister said the government had already increased the pay scale of the employees, adding that arrears would be released in two instalments. He also announced the tribal allowance to the employees.

He announced to reduce the period of promotion of linesmen from 10 to seven years. Virbhadra also directed the board to release the additional increment of Class IV employees.

He asked the management of the board to formulate a policy for providing employment to the kin of the employees who had died on duty. He said a committee of managing directors of the HPSEBL, Power Corporation and Transmission Corporation should be formed to solve the problems of the employees.

He said the government was committed to their welfare. In the last three years, Rs 600 crore had been spent on the improvement of the distribution system by the HPSEBL, 4,200 transformers had been set up and as many as 2 lakh consumers had got electricity connections.

The Chief Minister said 161 technical contractual employees and 506 daily wagers had been regularised during 2015-16.

Conveyance allowance and secretariat allowance had been doubled while 6 per cent daily allowance had been released, he said.

“The government will generate 265 MW of power in public sector. Under the Domestic Efficiency Lightening Programme, as many as 22 lakh consumers of the state have been benefited. The distribution of LED bulbs on subsidised rates is one of the effective measures. Around 41 lakh LED bulbs have been distributed so far. Twenty-three sub-stations of 33 kV, two sub-stations of 132 kV, one of 220 kV and three electric sub-stations of 66 kV have been made operational,” Virbhadra said.

President of the HPSEBL Employees Union Kuldeep Singh Kharwara welcomed the Chief Minister.