Apart from the Electricity Board accumulating a debt of Rs 2,47,130 crore over the years, which has already come to light, the White Paper revealed that electricity infrastructure had not improved in proportion to the money spent on it
It’s shocking. Some of the revelations made by Tamil Nadu minister for electricity C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar through a White Paper on Thursday were more shocking than touching a live high voltage electric wire. Apart from the Electricity Board accumulating a debt of Rs 2,47,130 crore over the years, which has already come to light, the White Paper revealed that electricity infrastructure had not improved in proportion to the money spent on it.
Another startling revelation was that 65,921 vacancies in the department have not been filled over the years and when 9,136 employees retired between 2021 and 2026 only 343 recruitments were made in lieu of that. Since the White Paper traces a 25-year financial trajectory of the department, it will be preposterous to say that the present TVK government, led by C. Joseph Vijay, was trying to besmirch the image of the previous regime. Still, a plethora of touchy questions arises: Why were the vacancies that rose due to the retirement of 9,136 employees not filled in full? Was it financial constraints or someone was waiting for some quid pro quo from potential recruits, as gossip suggests?
Whatever it was, it was nothing but gross mismanagement since an essential service like electricity cannot be provided without the requisite manpower. Then, it is troubling to note that the department has been purchasing power from the Centre, other states and private companies to offset its peak hour demand of 21,307 MW at exorbitant rates. But, transcending the blame game, the present government has promised to cut down the amount spent on the power purchase through short term agreements and save Rs 215 crore every month by entering into long term contracts.
And, too, the new government has assured it shall fill up 20,000 job vacancies in the department this year and regularise the employment of 5,391 gangmen appointed in 2021, which are all efforts that would go into improving the board’s services.
