For connections without proper infra, notice to 24 power officials

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, March 1

The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) has issued show-cause notices to 24 officials, including four executive engineers, five sub-divisional officers (SDOs), nine junior engineers and six consumer clerks in a case of the release of power connections in Gurugram without adequate infrastructure provided by builders.

Director (Operations) DHBVN RK Sodha gave this information at a hearing before the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) on a suo motu petition regarding the issuance of regular electricity bills.

The builders are required to create electrical infrastructure and seek approval for an electrification plan from discom or submit a bank guarantee in the case of the phase-wise development of electrical infrastructure in the area to be developed. Despite inadequate infrastructure, a total of 1,019 connections were issued in this case. In Gurugram’s case, show-cause notices against five SDOs have already been decided with the stoppage of two increments, submitted the DHBVN.

The Commission directed the Director (Operations), DHBVN, to submit the action taken report by March 15.

Regarding wrong billing in a case of Jaspreet Singh, a resident of Panchkula, Chief Engineer (Operations), Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN), Panchkula, RK Khanna, submitted that SDO RK Rohila and commercial assistant Sunita had been warned to be more careful in future and the services of lineman Dinesh Kumar had been censured.

In the case of wrong billing of National Fertilisers Employees Cooperative House Building Society Ltd Panipat, charge-sheets to nine officials were issued on October 31, 2021, and an officer was appointed to conduct inquiry in the matter. The Commission, in its order dated February 25, directed the officials to expedite the process and intimate the outcome of the action taken within 15 days.

The commission inquired about the proposal of discoms to bring down the losses of all urban feeders below 25 per cent and rural feeders below 50 per cent. Director (Operations), DHBVN, submitted that there were 72 urban feeders having losses in more than 25 per cent category in January 2021, which had come down to 41 per cent in January 2022.

Nod needed for electrification plan

Builders are required to create electrical infrastructure and seek approval for an electrification plan from discom or submit a bank guarantee in the case of the phase-wise development of electrical infrastructure in the area to be developed. Despite inadequate infrastructure, a total of 1,019 connections were issued in this case.