The chief minister told officials to go “all out and adopt a zero tolerance on hooking and asked them not to fall for any political interference in department proceedings.”
Photo: IANS/File
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday ordered the power department to adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards power theft and to recover outstanding arrears from industrial and commercial consumers.
Adhikari who has the power department under his portfolio held a review meeting with senior power department officials at Vidyut Bhavan in Salt Lake.
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The chief minister told officials to go “all out and adopt a zero tolerance on hooking and asked them not to fall for any political interference in department proceedings.”
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“No MLA, MP or ruling BJP leader will be allowed to influence departmental decisions,” Adhikari said.
“Zero political intervention” and strict action against illegal power connections were among the key instructions issued by the chief minister, who asked officials to disconnect illegal connections and recover pending electricity dues without succumbing to political pressure.
Adhikari also called for a gradual expansion of smart meters, but said the rollout should be accompanied by an effective grievance redressal mechanism, dedicated helpline and online complaint system.
Adhikari said West Bengal was working towards adding around 5,000 MW of new thermal power generation capacity to strengthen the state’s electricity supply network and meet rising demand from industry and other sectors.
The Chief Minister stressed the importance of renewable energy and said the state would accelerate implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar scheme.
Adhikari said 2,303 schools had been brought under solar power initiatives and announced that solar power connections for 1,800 households would be switched on from Nabanna later in the day.
“Through these measures were not only want to ensure seamless electricity supply across the state but also take care of the fact that electricity bills do not burn a hole in people’s pockets,” Adhikari said.
He said the state would also consider additional financial assistance for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe consumers to help them install rooftop solar systems.
Adhikari mentioned that future recruitment of engineers should be conducted through the Public Service Commission (PSC) to ensure transparency and prevent political interference. The recruitment process already underway, however, would continue.
“The state’s reputation has been severely tarnished over recruitment,” Adhikari said, referring to the teacher recruitment and municipal recruitment scandals. He said there should be no political interference in the appointment of highly skilled engineers.
“All recruitment to the power department will be done through PSC. This will ensure transparency and we will not allow anyone political persons to influence recruitment. The image of West Bengal and Bengalis has taken a beating and we need to improve on this on terms of recruitment,” Adhikari added.
He stressed that the Power Department must become more customer-friendly and efficient, while urging officials to speak freely about problems, proposals and reforms without fear.
The Chief Minister said he would try to visit Vidyut Bhavan once every month for a review, while the Minister of State would spend more time with the department and undertake regular review meetings and field visits.
Calling the Power Department an essential 24-hour service, Adhikari said even a minor lapse could have serious consequences.
Adhikari also asked the department to ensure that existing infrastructure was properly maintained while accelerating new projects, saying West Bengal’s power sector would have to keep pace with the growing demand for electricity from industry and other sectors.
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