Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani today presided over the second meeting of the Sub-Committee on issues related to Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEB Ltd.).
During the meeting, he emphasized the state government's commitment to enhancing consumer services by providing more cashless and faceless facilities while also strengthening the complaint redressal system. He said that these efforts were aimed at improving efficiency and ensuring a more consumer-friendly approach by the Board.
Rajesh Dharmani directed HPSEBL to develop a comprehensive roadmap to make the board a self-reliant and commercially viable organization. He stressed the importance of enhancing the skills of the board's employees through modern training techniques, which would further improve their efficiency.
Addressing concerns regarding the abolishment of certain posts within the board, particularly of engineers and outsourced staff, Sh. Dharmani remarked that these decisions were part of a larger restructuring process aimed at reducing operational costs.
The Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (HPERC), which regulates electricity rates and the overall power sector in the state has advocated for a reduction in the employee cost of HPSEBL, which is one of the highest in the country. This high cost was the reason behind the rising electricity tariffs which was affecting both investment and the economy of the state.
This financial burden, Dharmani explained, has led to repeated instructions from both the state and central governments to implement reforms in the power sector. Even the Government of India has issued directions to all DISCOMS to restructure the reforms.
As part of these reforms, unnecessary posts were being eliminated but no engineers have been laid off. Instead, their services were being reallocated to areas where they were needed the most. He said that the actual cost of the supply was Rs. 6.79 per unit while the procurement cost was Rs. 3.50 per unit. Despite having the lowest procurement costs in the country, the high employee expenses were preventing the board from offering cheaper electricity to consumers.
Regarding outsourced employees, Minister Dharmani clarified that HPSEBL. works with employee-providing companies, including the Himachal Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation, to meet its staffing needs. These companies are responsible for managing outsourced employees.
The Board contacts these companies as per their requirement. The Minister also stated that under the country's new scrap policy, the board is adopting an eco-friendly vehicle policy that promotes the use of electric vehicles. As a result, 81 outsourced drivers have been rendered surplus in the first phase of this policy implementation without vehicles.
He said that a decision was taken not to purchase any vehicle by the Board in the year 2018 and 2021 as a result no driver was recruited in HPSEBL and also drivers are not being hired on outsource basis.During the meeting, MLA Bhawani Singh Pathania advocated for making HPSEB Ltd. more consumer-friendly, a sentiment echoed by the minister, who assured that all employee-related matters would be discussed with Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
Later, in a meeting with joint front of HPSEBL employees and Engineers the issues related to different matters concerned with employees were deliberated upon. The Minister assured that their all issues will be discussed with the Chief Minister.
He reaffirmed the government's commitment to improving the financial health of HPSEB Ltd. through better human resource management and skill development. He praised the engineers and employees of the board for their dedication and cooperation in driving these reforms forward.
By embracing modern technology, he said, the state and its people are ultimately benefiting from these advancements. The minister expressed confidence that these efforts would lead to significant improvements in the board's financial condition, ensuring a brighter future for the power sector in Himachal Pradesh.