Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh addressing the employees of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd. (HPSEBL) during the Employees Union 15th ‘General Conference’ at Sundernagar in district Mandi on 1May 2016.Congratulating the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd. (HPSEBL) Employees Union on their 15th ‘General Conference’ at Sundernagar in Mandi district today, Chief Minister Shri Virbhadra Singh directed the management of HPSEBL to prepare roadmap for filling up the vacancies on the basis of which 1500 posts of different categories would be filled in 2016-17.As the State had provided enhanced grade pay to the employees of HPSEBL, the Chief Minister announced to release the arrear of enhanced grade pay in two instalments to the employees of the Board, announced Tribal Allowance to the employees of the Board on the analogy of the allowance paid to State Government employees.
The Chief Minister also announced to reduce the period of promotion criteria of Linemans to Foreman, from 10 to seven years as one time settlement. He also directed to release the additional increment of class four employees immediately.Directions were given to formulate a separate policy for providing employment to the kin of the employees who died while working on electric poles or repairing electric wires while on duty. He also directed to solve at the earliest the issues pertaining to pay anomalies of the 48 employees of the Board and to relax the norms of passing type test for senior assistants and clerks who have crossed 45 years of age as ‘One Time Settlement’.
He directed to form a Committee of Managing Directors of HPSEBL, Power Corporation and Transmission Corporation to work in coordination to look into and solve the problems of the employees. While addressing the gathering, Chief Minister said ‘Our Government is committed to the welfare of the employees of all categories and has always given preference to their demands’.Employees were the backbone of any organisation and since the day of the formulation of State Electricity Board, the employees of the Board were contributing their best in all areas and working in all types of conditions, he said adding that he congratulates the HPSEBL employees for completing the target of electrification of all hamlets of the State.
During last three years, a sum of Rs 600 crore was invested for improved distribution system by HPSEBL, 4200 transformers were set up.
He said that additional 10 MW had been harnessed by completing Ghanvi stage II and as many as two lakh consumers were given electricity connections. As many as 161 technical Contract employees were regularised during 2015-16 under three percent quota for persons with disability and upto during last three years 506 daily wagers had been regularised, he said.
Many steps had been taken to benefit the employees of the Board, he said adding that the conveyance allowance and secretariat allowance had been doubled, besides recently HPSEBL released six percent Dearness Allowance (DA) to its employees and pensioners, he said.
The Government was making efforts to harness 265 Mega Watt of power in public sector alone. He said that under Domestic Efficiency Lightening Programme, as many as 22 lakh consumers of the State were benefited. Distribution of LED bulbs on subsidised rates to domestic consumers was one of the effective measures and 41 lakh LED bulbs had been distributed so far. He said that around 23 sub-stations of 33 KV, two sub-stations of 132 KV, One of 220 KV and three electric sub stations of 66 KV were made operational.Apart from this, a sum of Rs. 1080 crore was spent by way of subsidised electric tariff to the consumers.
He said that to explore possibilities in the area of Renewal sources of energy, Grid Interactive Roof Tops Solar projects were proposed in which, under Net metering Scheme, 70 percent assistance would be provided and Rs. five per unit power would be provided to the consumers. He also released a souvenir on the occasion.President of the HPSEBL employees Union Shri Kuldeep Singh Kharwara welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked for fulfilling the demands.Organising Secretary, HPSEBL employees Union Shri Jagmel Singh and General Secretary, Shri Hira Lal also spoke.Excise and Taxation Minister, Shri Prakash Chaudhary, Chairperson, Zila Parishad, Ms. Champa Thakur, DCC, President, Shri Puran Chand, Chairman, APMC, Shri Harinder Sen, Additional Chief Secretary, Shri Tarun Shridhar, Director, Higher Education, Shri Dinkar Burathoki, Managing Director, HPSEBL, Shri P.C. Negi, Deputy Commissioner, Shri Sandeep Kadam, SP, Shri Prem Thakur, Chairperson Municipal Council, Ms. Poonam Sharma were also present on the occasion amongst others.