Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji (SD)

Panaji, May 5: State power minister Nilesh Cabral has said he would make a proposal to chief minister Pramod Sawant that all the non-performing employees of the electricity department can be given compulsory retirement scheme (CRS).

Cabral lashed out against political interference in his department and said, "Politicians intervene on behalf of some employees in the department and ask that they be given other posts (desk jobs). I myself get calls seeking certain staff be posted at power stations only. Does that mean I should climb the electricity poles?"

However, the minister has refused to give out the numbers of non-performing employees in the department.

He said that even though there is a protocol and department can act against employees who neglect their assigned duties; so far no employee has been suspended or terminated from their service.

Cabral said, "We have rules and regulations in place. We have the administrative reforms department (ARD) and the personnel department. But show me one employee who has been suspended and then terminated. He further said, "If the chief minister gives me a free hand to handle my departments, I will act."

He said that in the previous recruitment he refused to employ those who could not climb electric poles and were on contract.

Cabral also said that there would be no concessions on domestic consumers.

He said, "Ever since the lockdown has been enforced, there has been a spike in energy consumption because people have had to stay at home. Due to this, the department has been facing problems and hence cannot give benefits to domestic consumers."

Usual raise in the electricity bills on hotels on the first day of the month has not been raised, he said. "I will speak to chief minister Pramod Sawant in this regard and will proceed accordingly," he said.

The power minister has proposed to bring all the street lights under the department. Currently only 60 percent of the street lights are taken care by the department while the remaining are looked after by various other authorities.