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Delays by the Power Ministry in filling up top posts in the Central Electricity Authority is short-circuiting work at the power planning body.
Even as the country heads into a new Five-Year Plan period and the slippage in capacity addition is rampnant, the CEA — the statutory body entrusted with the job of planning for the electricity generation sector and power systems in the country — has been functioning with an interim chairperson for over ten months now.
Besides, two key member-level positions have been lying vacant for the past one year while a third was filled up just a few months back after lying vacant for over a year and half. The authority has also been facing a severe staff crunch at the middle and lower rungs to aggravate matters.
The CEA is headed by a Chairman and has six members in-charge of areas such as planning, thermal, hydro, power systems, grid operations and distribution, and commercial issues.
Mr Gurdial Singh, Member (Hydro), has been officiating as Chairman since March last year, when the previous incumbent, Mr Rakesh Nath, superannuated. Mr Singh too is to superannuate this June.
Mr S. Sheshadri, Member (Thermal), superannuated in March last year while Mr V. Ramakrisha, Member (Power Systems), took voluntary retirement in February 2009. The post of Member (Planning) fell vacant in February 2009 and only in October 2010 was Mr A. S. Bakshi appointed to the post. To make matters worse, Mr S.M. Dhiman, Member (Grid Operations), is set to retire this month.
While the official explanation given by the Power Ministry is that the process of filling up these posts is “currently on”, officials within the CEA concede that the decision-making has been suffering on account of these key posts lying unfilled. “All three posts have been circulated but not yet filled up. Orders have not come yet,” an official said.
To add to the problem, new recruitment is also not happening, affecting day-to-day functioning. Of the Authority's 570 sanctioned technical posts, close to 200 slots are lying vacant, with practically no new recruitment happening in the last two years.
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