KSEB flayed for high employee costs

[ntjobthirur]

KSEB flayed for high employee costs

Special Correspondent THE HINDU 13/3/2013


The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission has criticised the Kerala State Electricity Board for its ineptness in regulating the cost of employees and increasing their efficiency and the laxity in forging agreements for power purchase for short, medium and long terms.

During a public hearing conducted here Tuesday on the tariff revision proposals submitted by the Board, the commission observed that the expenses incurred for meeting the soaring salary bills could not be passed on to the consumers. The Board should take steps to regulate this expenditure and report the progress to the commission. The inflated reports on the cost of employees came in for criticism from the commission.

During the current financial year, Rs.1,600 crore was sanctioned on this score. The Board has demanded Rs.2,551 crore to meet the salary and other expenses of employees for the next financial year. These have not been properly substantiated. It has been proposed to buy 3,628 million units of power for 2013-14. Even in March, the Board has entered into an agreement only for securing 200 MW. The commission expressed its concern over the power purchase plan of the Board, and said it should submit a detailed plan within a fortnight. When the annual accounts for 2012-13 were submitted, the commission was not given an expenditure statement, though it asked for the document many times. No project has been drawn up for curbing power consumption. Though the distribution of CF lamps had commenced, no decision has been made on the distribution of the 10 lakh lamps left with the Board. No report has been furnished on the installation of time-of-the-day meters for low-tension consumers.

The Board has not yet complied with the directive to conduct a study on its human resource. The commission asked the Board to submit reports on all such issues within a fortnight.