Proposal to set up regional power distribution companies in Maharashtra


* As first step towards this, MSEDCL closes down Regional ED Offices
* However, sources believe that abolishing the Regional ED Offices not needed at this juncture as several major decisions pertaining to power sector are being taken benefiting especially Vidarbha
By Kartik Lokhande 
Taking a major step, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has decided to close down the offices of Regional Executive Director at Nagpur, Pune, and Kalyan. While some sections in MSEDCL are calling the step as ‘unwarranted’, some believe that this is the first step towards realising in near future the long-pending proposal of setting up Regional Power Distribution Companies.
The Board of Directors of MSEDCL passed a resolution regarding ‘closure’ of establishments of Regional Executive Director at Nagpur, Kalyan, and Pune, in its meeting held last month. With this ‘closure’ of the said offices, some officials/personnel in these establishments are being deployed/absorbed at other establishments, and some other posts are being ‘abolished’.
As per the order in this regard issued on April 17 by Dr M S Kele, Chief General Manager (TE), after closure of the Regional Executive Director Offices, the General Manager (Human Resource) shall hold the portfolio of Disciplinary Action Cell and Property Return Cell, and Deputy General Manager (HR) shall hold the charge of non-technical establishment. Also, the Chief Engineers in the field ‘shall control and monitor’ all the functions/duties and undertake the activities related to Operations and Maintenance, Project and Store etc.
Commenting on the issue, a senior officer of MSEDCL told ‘The Hitavada’ that there was no need to close down Regional Executive Director Offices. “At this juncture, several issues pertaining to power sector are being sorted out, especially for Vidarbha region. Hence, at least in Vidarbha, Regional Executive Director Office would have been a great help. Closure of these offices in Pune and Kalyan would not matter much as those places have proximity to Mumbai headquarters of MSEDCL. But, in case of Vidarbha, closure of Regional Executive Director Office would increase distance between MSEDCL Headquarter and the region,” said the officer, wishing to be anonymous.
Another official said that the timing of the decision was ‘indicative’. According to the officer, recently the State Government has unveiled a plan of distributing agricultural solar pumps at the cost of Rs 940 crore. “Considering the backlog of Vidarbha region, most of these pumps are likely to be installed in Vidarbha region. Obviously, most of the fund is likely to be utilised in Vidarbha, and the Regional Executive Director Office of MSEDCL would have assumed a key role in this regard. This does not gel well with the powerful leaders and pro-Western Maharashtra bureaucrats. Hence, they have mounted pressure on MSEDCL to take decision of closing down Regional Executive Director Offices,” said another official.
However, sources in the Energy Ministry told ‘The Hitavada’ that closure of Regional Executive Director Offices was a step towards realising in near future the long-pending proposal of setting up Regional Power Distribution Companies. The proposal was discussed during the tenure of Dilip Walse Patil as Energy Minister. However, it could not move forward then. With the new Government taking over in State, the proposal is back in discussion.
“Already, Gujarat and some other states have Regional Power Distribution Companies to take care of supply and consumption of power at regional levels. In Maharashtra, the proposal is to divide existing MSEDCL into regional companies for Konkan and Western Maharashtra, Marathwada, and Vidarbha,” said the source. Once the regional companies are set up, those will be headed by the officer of the rank of Joint Managing Director. In that scenario, added the source, Regional Executive Director Office would have become redundant.

Offices closed down to
pave way for new zoning
pattern: Energy Minister
Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Energy Minister and Guardian Minister of Nagpur district, told ‘The Hitavada’ that the Regional Executive Director Offices of MSEDCL were being closed down to pave way for new zoning pattern.
At present, MSEDCL has one zone establishment for four or five districts. As far as Vidarbha region is concerned, Bawankule said that the number of zones would be increased soon. As per the proposal, MSEDCL will have a zone for Nagpur city, Bhandara, and Gondia districts. Similarly, there will be a zone for Wardha, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli districts. In Amravati Division, there will be a separate zone for Akola, Buldhana, and Washim districts; and another for Amravati and Yavatmal districts.
With the redrawing of zoning pattern, several powers vested previously with the Regional Executive Director would be decentralised to the level of Chief Engineers of new zones. “This will facilitate decision making process,” Bawankule said. 

(April 19, 2015)

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