Kerala State Electricity Board Engineers' Association
History
KERALA STATE ELECTRICITY BOARD ENGINEERS’ ASSOCIATION
KSEB Engineers’ Association (KSEBEA) was formed during January 1954 as the Travancore-Cochin Electricity Department Engineers’ Association as per the Bye Law sanctioned by the Government vide G.O (R) Dis 9168/53/PWC dated 02-01-1954 and was later renamed as KSEB Engineers’ Association when the Travancore-Cochin Electricity Department became Kerala State Electricity Board during April 1957. The current Bye law includes amendments upto 30-06-2011.
The KSEBEA is a professional body of power engineers and always strives to impart professional excellence amongst its members through all possible means. The KSEBEA has the track record of regularly conducting the Annual General Body without a break and the 64th AGB was held on 14th May 2017 at Thrissur. The Annual General Body approves the audited annual accounts of the association and also elects the office bearers for the following year. Every year along with the inaugural function of the AGB a National seminar on topic of contemporary relevance is held. The Association publishes technical journal HYDEL, monthly newsletter HYDEL BULLET for the benefit of its members and also publishes Technical Handbook for Power Engineers. Every year, best performing Assistant Engineers in the Generation, Transmission & Distribution wings are awarded with the Er.K.P.S.Nair award. The Association annually distributes education endowment awards instituted by former members Er. U.Chandu Nair, Er.A.R.Sreedhara Panicker, Er.L.Janardhanan and Er.T.R.Murukesan.
Apart from imbibing professional excellence, the association looks after the service related matters and welfare matters of the members in service and also closely follows up the pension related service matters of retired members. The Association is operating a Benevolent Fund since 1977 for the benefit of the family of those unfortunate members who expire while in service. The intention of the scheme is to provide immediate financial assistance to the bereaved family of fellow members who meet with untimely death. The benevolent fund also provides reimbursable emergency medical assistance loan, amount to family on death of retired members who are members of the Extended scheme of the fund and also provides Medical assistance to members who are faced with critical illness. The Association through the Benevolent fund has so far provided financial assistance amounting to Rs 40 lakh (approximately) to the family of 56 bereaved members of the Association.
The KSEBEA is also involved in charity activities like providing free electrification of houses of the poorest of the poor, providing free educational kits to children belonging to socially and financially backward community, providing free medical aid for dialysis of poor people. The KSEBEA also conducts awareness programmes on topics like energy conservation, electrical safety etc. among school children, conducts annual competitive seminar for final year electrical engineering students of engineering colleges with cash prizes and also awards the Er.M.V.Jacob memorial endowment award for the best innovative idea presented in the seminar.
MILE STONES
- Was formed in 1954,at a time when formation of a service organization was viewed with suspicion and disfavor by the authorities.
- Is constantly striving for the improvements of service conditions and quality of professional work ever since its formation without any political affiliatio
- Has worked relentlessly for improved functioning of Board ever since the formation of K.S.E Board in 1957 for giving greater representation and authority to Power Engineers.
- Always gives priority for dissemination of technical knowledge. HYDEL, the quarterly technical journal, which is being published from 1954 is the only one of its kind published by any of the Engineers’ service organization in India. Power Engineer’s Handbook published in 1979 and various codes and procedures published from time to time stand out as highly useful books for Engineers and other personnel in the Power Boards. The Power Engineers Mini Handbook published in 1995 and Compendium of Codes & Procedures published in 1997 form quick reference books for practicing Engineers. Publication of voluminous technical handbook is another milestone
- Ceaselessly works for the betterment of service conditions of Power Engineers. The 1966 Agitation was the first of its kind in India, resorted by a Service Organization of Gazetted Officers. Power Engineers in KSE Board were benefited by the arbitration that followed better known as Justice Sankaran Award and got the highest pay scales for Engineers, among the Electricity Boards in India. 1973 stay-in strike and the epoch making 1974 November struggle in which 27 Power Engineers of various ranks,Deputy Chief Engineers of Assistant Engineers suffered incarceration for 34 days and forced victimization, shows the grit of the Association.
- Has boldly faced many situations, with-drawl of recognition,threats,imposition of impediments in the activities and many victimization actions, ultimately to come out unscathed and with added vigour and vitality. Time has proved that only the non-political identity of our Association has helped us to stand boldly on issues affecting the Engineer Community.
- Has been striving its best to force the board to take timely action for modernization and improvement in generation,Transmission and Distribution wings in KSEB.
- Has initiated actions to simplify many of the functions and procedures in the Electricity Board to augment and optimize the style of functioning and workload of Engineers.
- Has fought and won by persistent efforts a place for Power Engineers in the management of the Electricity Board.Adoption of Modern Technology in the Board has been our effort.
- Launched the Engineers’ Benevolent Fund, a unique scheme that has been working from 1977 smoothly. Bereaved families of 28 Engineers got the benefit of the scheme.The group insurance scheme introduced by the Association for its members is the first of its kind in the State. Other welfare activities are being implemented.
- Regularly brings out the quarterly journal HYDEL, monthly journal HYDEL BULLET from 1969 news and articles on service matters and technology developments and with cultural articles, stories, fiction and poems.
- Is taking a leading role in the activities of All India Power Engineers Association of all the state Electricity Boards. Engineers Association is a founder member of the Federation.
- Has always stood for the best interests of the Power Engineers in the Electricity Board, Professional and service.
- Is the pride of Power Engineers and always the best benefactor of you, the Power Engineers of KSE Board and the dedicated and proud member of the Kerala Electricity Board Engineer’s Association. The units have routine meetings, family get together and other collective activities in addition to Technical sessions to have good relationship among Engineers. At time of necessity the units have remained united to help the members in distress.
Marching ahead with over sixty years Synergy
In the minds of many Engineers of the erstwhile Travancore Cochin Electricity Department, there was a desire to form an Association, to bring them together for better intimacy and fellow feeling. Thus the Engineers in a meeting held on 19th April 1953 evening at Power House premises, Thiruvananthapuram elected an Adhoc committee to form an Association after obtaining Government sanction. The sanction obtained in January 1954 was at a time when formation of a service organization was viewed with suspicion and disfavor by the authorities. The first General Body Meeting of the Association was held on 25th April 1954 in the Central hall of old Government Engineering College, Thiruvananthapuram and was inaugurated by Sri. Pattom A. Thanu Pillai, the then Chief Minister of Travancore Cochin. The publication of quarterly technical journal HYDEL, started in December 1954, which is the only one of its kind published by any Engineers’ service organization in the country. When the Travancore Cochin Electricity Department later became the Kerala State Electricity Board on 1st April 1957, the Travancore Cochin Electricity Department Marching ahead with sixty years Synergy…Engineers’ Association was renamed as the Kerala State Electricity Board Engineers’ Association. The successful 1966 historic struggle by the Association was the first of its kind in India, resorted to by a service organization of gazetted officers and it established a unity and strength among the Engineers which culminated in the Justice Sankaran Award. In September 1968, Association started the monthly news bulletin HYDEL Bullet. In 1968-69, the Civil Engineers separately formed their own Association causing Engineers Association to represent only Power Engineers. The 1973 stay-in strike and the historic 1974 November struggle wherein 27 Power Engineers were imprisoned for 34 days shows the grit of the Association. In 1977, Association launched the Engineers’ Benevolent Fund, a unique scheme for the benefit of the family of a bereaved fellow member and the same has been working smoothly since then.The Association has clear objectives and functions based on the ten code of ethics. The Association regularly organises workshops, seminars, campaign etc. on topics of current relevance in power sector. Regular monthly meetings are being conducted in the local units. In the unit meetings, technical discussions are held in addition to the deliberations on service matters and the activities of the Association are streamlined after wide discussions at units and at the Governing body. Association regularly brings out updated Technical Hand book for Power Engineers. For the past several years, Association is conducting State level seminar series for the students of Engineering Colleges in Kerala on topics of contemporary relevance so as to nurture the budding talents. Apart from the above, Association provides help and assistance to the needy through its various charity programmes as part of social commitment. Every landmark of our association’s activities for the last sixty years is worth remembering. It reminds us the foundation on which KSEB Engineers’ Association stands and the values it upholds. Many Engineers have contributed in different ways in the growth of the Association. Today, many of the service organizations are dancing to the whims and fancies of their political bosses ignoring the real facts. Here, our Association has a unique existence due to its integrity and commitment to the organisation and its members. Many never thought of the ill effects of politicizing the power engineers’ fraternity. For those in power it is easy to lure a handful of power Engineers with the offer of transfer and evasion from punishments. Opportunity to indict the unyielding is also there. But the real power engineers of KSEB have resisted all such enticing short lived temptation and threats and have decided to stand together with the KSEB Engineers’ Association, keeping politics at a safe distance. The Association has always maintained the view that it is our duty to offer advice to the management and the Government on all important issues. At the same time, the Association has never hesitated to criticise and resist wrong actions detrimental to our members and the organisation
