*PDD fails to sign MoU with CIRE during past 3 yrs
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 26: Though several steps have been taken towards “Power for All” by 2021-22 initiative of the Union Government yet there is no seriousness on creating well-trained human resource as per the need of the sector and this approach of the PDP-BJP Coalition Government may create problems in effective handling of upcoming infrastructure.
This can be gauged from the fate of the announcement regarding establishment of Power Management and Training Institute made in the Power Budget twice during the past three years and failure of Power Development Depart-ment to complete the basic exercise of entering into Memorandum of Understanding with Central Institute of Rural Electrification (CIRE), Hyder-abad.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in the new reforms framework ushered in Jammu and Kashmir it is important that the power sector has access to properly trained human resource. Therefore, concerted action is required to be taken for augmenting training infrastructure so that adequate well-trained human resource is made available as per the need of the power sector.
Moreover, efforts are also required to be made so that personnel of the power sector become more cost-conscious and consumer friendly.
As a first step in this direction, the Government in the Power Budget for 2014-15 financial year announced setting up of a dedicated institution under the name Chenab Power Management and Training Institute. However, dilly-dallying approach continued right from the very beginning as a result of which no substantial progress could be made towards giving practical shape to this much-needed institution, sources said.
“The establishment of Chenab Power Management and Training Institute was again touched by Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu while presenting Power Budget for 2016-17 financial year and he claimed that steps were taken to operationalize the institute”, sources further said.
He announced that for this institute the basic infrastructure at Baglihar village, which had come up during construction of Stage-I of Baglihar Hydroelectric Project was suitably modified to meet the requirements of the training institute. He had informed the Legislative Assembly that matter was being pursued with the Central Institute of Rural Electrification (CIRE), Hyderabad and Ministry of Power to sign the Memorandum of Understanding in order to kick start the initiative.
However, despite lapse of nearly three years since the announcement was first made in the Budget the Power Development Department has failed to sign MoU with CIRE, sources said, adding had required seriousness shown to honour the Power Budget 2014-15 announcement, the Institute would have been made operational much earlier and providing much needed impetus to the training needs of the power sector.
When approached to ascertain the status of the announcement, Managing Director of Power Development Corporation Shah Faesal confirmed that MoU was yet to be signed with CIRE, adding “the Commissioner/ Secretary Power Development Departm-ent has recently convened a meeting on the subject and hopefully the formalities would be completed shortly”.
“It is a matter of serious concern that at a time when several initiatives have been taken towards Power for All by 2021-22 dilly-dallying approach is being adopted towards creating well-trained human resource”, sources regretted, adding “unless training infrastructure is augmented by way of establishing this institute the Government will face difficulties in effective handling of upcoming infrastructure”.
Quoting an example, they said that following laying of Srinagar-Leh Transmission Line, the work on which is being executed at fast pace by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), the line would be handed over to Power Development Department of J&K for maintenance. “Unless there is well-trained human resource proper maintenance of this line passing through difficult terrain would not be possible”, sources added.
In response to a question, sources said that the Chenab Power Management and Training Institute would go a long way in generating trained manpower by calling experts from different parts of the country to upgrade the skills and knowledge of the engineers of the Power Development Department and Power Development Corporation”.
The Government should come up with a mechanism to ensure proper follow-up action on each and every announcement of Budget otherwise the plans will remain on papers as has been highlighted by EXCELSIOR through a series of news items.
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