GEB to hire management pros

The Gujarat government, in a bid to bring accountability and professionalism into the ailing Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB), will induct top management professionals to the utility soon, said principal secretary, energy and petrochemicals, Manjula Subramanian.

She said this at a meeting on power sector reforms and customers' future, held at the premises of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

"As part of the corporatisation of the GEB, we have already separated the generation, transmission and distribution wings of the GEB. The assets have been transferred and the separation of accounts is on," the official said.

She said, "Since the GEB is a huge organisation, the accountability is not up to the desired standards. We have decided to bring in professionalism by trying to rope in top management professionals," Subramanian said.

Orientation workshops have already begun for the 4,600 employees, the principal secretary said. Consumer relations was the weakest link in the GEB, and efforts are on to change this and revamp the GEB, she said.

There is no point in corporatising the GEB without a change in the mindset, she said.

The Gujarat Electricity (Re-organisation) Act has already received Presidential assent, she said.

In case of any contradiction between the state Act and the Central Electricity Act, provisions of the Central Electricity Act will prevail.

"There are some areas like captive generation, multiple licences, open licences and theft, where the provisions of the central Act will prevail," she said.

Minister of state for energy and petrochemicals Saurabh Dalal said in the days to come, electricity rates will definitely come down as the government aims to have a surplus of power.

"This is evident from the fact that while three lakh meters were being installed per year earlier, the figure this year has been seven lakh," Dalal said.

He said despite the higher usage, the government, for the first time, has been able to provide power without any staggering for six months of the past one year.

The state government, in August last, decided to reorganise the GEB into subsidiaries handling generation, transmission and distribution.

As far as generation of electricity is concerned, the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Ltd (GSECL) will be in charge.

Transmission of electricity will be the task of the Gujarat State Electricity Transmission Corporation Ltd (GSETCL).

Four different companies, all subsidiaries of the Gujarat Electricity Board, will be set up in north, south, west and central Gujarat for distribution of electricity.