Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Sunday directed the management of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board ltd. (HPSEBl) to prepare roadmap for filling up the vacancies on the basis of which 1,500 posts of different categories would be filled in 2016-17.
He was speaking at the 15th ‘General Conference’ of HPSEBl Employees Union at Sundernagar in Mandi district.
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 installments to the employees of the Board and also 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 kin of the employees who died while working on electric poles or repairing electric wires.
He also asked 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 are the backbone of any organisation and since the day of the formulation of State Electricity Board, the employees of the Board have been 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 `600 crore was invested for improved distribution system by HPSEBl, 4200 transformers were set up, he said.
He added 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 per cent quota for persons with disability and upto during last three years 506 daily wagers had been regularised, the Chief Minister said.
The Government was making efforts to harness 265 Mega Watt of power in public sector alone. 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, said he.
He added 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 per cent assistance would be provided and Rs five per unit power will be provided to the consumers.