ASSESSMENT: Agriculture Marketing Minister Sharanabasappa Darshanapur at the quarterly review meeting of the Karnataka Development Programme, held at the Deputy Commissioner's office in Gulbarga on Wednesday

GULBARGA: Agriculture Marketing Minister Sharanabasappa Darshanapur on Wednesday expressed dissatisfaction at the functioning of the Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company (GESCOM). He told its Managing Director, Mujib Ahmed, that the Government would not tolerate delay in the replacement of faulty transformers and providing power supply to water schemes in the district.

Mr. Darshanapur, who is also the district in-charge Minister, was presiding over the quarterly review of the Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) at the Deputy Commissioner's office. He also took serious exception to the absence of the Managing Director of GESCOM at the review meeting.

Chief Executive Officer Pankajkumar Pandey told the Minister that he had spoken to the Managing Director and asked him to participate in the meeting. Sharanaprakash Patil, representing Sedam Assembly Constituency, told the Minister that the attitude of GESCOM officials in slighting the review meeting chaired by the Minister was shocking and urged the Minister to summon the Managing Director to the meeting.

Summoned

Dr. Patil said that junior officials of GESCOM participating in the meeting were not in a position to reply to complaints regarding the delay in supplying power to many drinking water projects. Mr. Darshanapur later refused to take up the performance of GESCOM for discussion in the absence of the Managing Director and directed the Director (Technical) of the GESCOM to inform the Managing Director to attend the meeting.

Later, Managing Director Mujib Ahmed arrived at the meeting hall only to be pulled up by the Minister and Dr. Patil. Mr. Darshanapur pointed out that the complaints about faulty transformers and delay in their replacement were rampant in the district.

The Managing Director should ensure that such complaints did not recur, he said.

The Minister also directed Mr. Ahmed to take immediate measures to fill all vacant posts of assistant engineer, junior engineer and section officer in the Sedam taluk by re-allocating those serving in places such as Gulbarga.

Corrective action assured

The Minister said that there were 266 Ganga Kalyan projects awaiting power supply for the past one year. There was also considerable delay in setting up 33 kV substations in the district due to delay in giving work orders to the contractor.

The Managing Director assured the meeting that supplying power to drinking water projects would be given top priority.

Faulty transformers would be replaced within three days, he said.

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