Kerala - Kollam   

Graft alleged in KSEB meter purchase

KOLLAM: M.S. Rawther, general secretary of the pro-INTUC Kerala Electricity Employees Confederation, has alleged corruption in the purchase of electronic meters and the CFL distribution programme of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB).

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, he said the government had claimed that the meters were manufactured by the public sector United Electrical Industries Ltd (UNILEC), Kollam, and that they had a guarantee period of 10 years. When the meters were found to be defective, the KSEB sent an expert team to the UNILEC. The inspection brought to light that the company badly lacked the infrastructure to manufacture quality meters. He said a letter in this connection dated December 5, 2008 from KSEB chairman Rajeev Sadanandan to Principal Secretary T. Balakrishnan stated that the UNILEC lacked even facilities to manufacture printed circuit board (PCB) for electronic meters. The PCB is a vital part of electronic meters.

He alleged that the UNILEC had purchased substandard electronic meter parts from private companies based in Delhi, Noida and Hyderabad. These parts were them assembled at the company and a label of the company was affixed on the meters and sold to the KSEB.

Out of 87,000 meters supplied recently to the KSEB, 67,000 were found to be defective. Though all trade unions of the KSEB had submitted letters to the board to stop using such products, the supply of substandard meters from the UNILIC is continuing, he said. This was due to corrupt deals behind the purchase, he alleged.

Mr. Rawther further alleged that the CFL distribution programme also smacked of corruption. As per Central government standards the CFLs distributed should have a guarantee period of two years. But the CFLs distributed by the KSEB did not have guarantee of even one year. The CFL distribution of the KSEB was a Rs.95-crore programme and the entire lot was purchased from one company. He urged the KSEB to get back the CFLs and replace them with those that have proper guarantee.

He said pay revision of KSEB employees was pending since 2008. Measures should be taken for the early implementation of pay revision for the employees. Confederation treasurer Sibikutty Francis and secretary Kottarakara Sunny were also present at the press meet.

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