Workers of UP firm to operate 56 sub-stations of MeECL?

Shillong, Apr 21: The move for power reforms initiated by the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) for outsourcing of manpower for operation and maintenance of 56 numbers of 33/11 KV sub-stations under the Meghalaya Power Distribution Company Limited (MePDCL) has turned out to be another controversy.
Sources revealed that there was a proposal from the MePDCL authorities to the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), Arunkumar Kembhavi to appoint contractual workers from the State to man the 56 new sub-stations.
According to sources, the proposal was turned down by Kembhavi. Instead, he wanted to outsource the manpower from a private company from Noida, Uttar Pradesh at abnormally higher rates.
Sources also informed that in order to show that this outsourcing will be beneficial to the MeEPDCL, Kembhavi instructed the Superintending Engineer (Projects) to prepare the requirement of manpower for each of the 33/11 KV sub-stations.
It was learnt that the Superintending Engineer (Projects) prepared an exaggerated requirement of manpower which was not required at all for the sub stations of 33 KV level so as to escalate the employee cost.
Sources informed that there was a Techno Commercial Proposal dated January 29, 2021 for the works ”Operation & Maintenance for 56 numbers 33/11 KV Manned and Unmanned Sub-Stations under Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited” from Broadcasting Engineering Consultants India Limited, Noida. Kembhavi had not only flouted the rule by not floating any Expression of Interest (EOI) for the same but straight away issued the Letter of Intent (LOI) on February 19, 2021 to Broadcasting Engineering Consultants India Limited at the rate of Rs 3,75,000 per month per sub-station excluding GST. The contract is for a period of 10 year with year-on-year escalation of 5 per cent.
Sources said that the actual expenses per month for one sub-station is Rs 1, 20,000 only.
Most of the sub-stations under MePDCL are being manned by contractual workers from the State with few regular employees.
Many local youth who have completed the electrician course from Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and had possessed the requisite LT and HT licenses are being engaged as contractual workers by the MePDCL in these sub-stations.
The reforms policy for outsourcing of manpower will not only entail huge financial burden on the cash-strapped MeECL but it will also deprive local youth of employment opportunities.
Such unpopular policy will create an influx from outside the State as there will be over 600 workers from outside the State required to run the 56 sub-stations.
Speaking to this newspaper, several officers and employees of MeECL strongly criticised the move and demanded a categorical statement from Power Minister James Sangma and MeECL CMD Arunkumar Kembhavi regarding the intent and need to bring people from outside the State to man the sub-stations when there is no dearth of manpower from within the State.