Suspension of MSEB official revoked in Deshmukh billing case

Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) has revoked the suspension of A G Kashikar, assistant engineer (AE), Seminary Hills subdivision, who was suspended on November 16 in the Anil Deshmukh power billing case.

The board has transferred Kashikar to Ballarshah and a departmental inquiry has been ordered against him. MSEB has also started an inquiry against the executive engineers and divisional accountants, who were also named in this case.

PWD minister Anil Deshmukh had not paid electricity bills since May 2000. The arrears had mounted to Rs 3.23 lakh by September 2004. MSEB had neither disconnected his power supply nor included his name in the top ten defaulters of Civil Lines MSEB division. After this issue was raised by Shiv Sena leader Satish Shinde, the board suspended AE Kashikar.

The suspension order served to Kashikar stated that he was guilty of not disconnecting power supply to Anil Deshmukh's residence and that he failed to include the name of Deshmukh in top ten defaulters of Civil Lines division.

Junior engineers and assistant engineers of MSEB were greatly agitated as they felt that Kashikar had been made a scapegoat. Subordinate Engineers' Association (SEA), their representative body, held talks with energy minister Dilip Walse-Patil and MSEB chairman Jayant Kawale on November 24 and 25. They were supported by several other MSEB unions including MSEB Workers' Federation.

A delegation of SEA led by Narayan Chavhan and Sunil Jagtap pointed out to Walse-Patil and Kawale that while Kashikar was guilty of not disconnecting power supply to Deshmukh's residence, the responsibility of preparing the list of top ten defaulters of the division (which is published in newspapers) lies with the concerned executive engineer (EE) and divisional accountant (DA).

Kashikar, therefore, could not be held responsible on this count. They demanded that action should be taken against concerned EEs and DAs.

Walse-Patil and Kawale were convinced about SEA's argument and directed chief engineer Manohar Bagde to revoke Kashikar's suspension.

Meanwhile, sources in Prakashgad said that the EEs and DAs and some other officials posted at Civil Lines division after May 2000 will come under the scanner in the inquiry. Executive engineers' A M Parnandiwar, P Gawande, S G Joshi and Lade, D A Shankar Pahade are expected to be summoned by the inquiry committee soon.