Patna, Feb. 11: The employees of Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) today organised a rally to protest the privatisation of power supply work and distribution management system for 11KV feeders in rural areas besides mass scale transfers of employees.

Hundreds of Grade III and Grade IV employees showing allegiance to nearly half-a-dozen power unions such as Bihar Pradesh Vidyut Sh-ramik Sangh, Bihar Rajya Vidyut Mazdoor Union, Bihar Bijli Mazdoor Union, Bihar Power Workers’ Union, and Bihar State Progressive Electric Workers’ Union gathered at the board office headquarters under the banner of Bihar Vidyut Majdur Sanyukta Morcha in support of a slew of demands.

The board has recently decided to outsource the work of power supply and distribution management system for 11KV feeders in rural areas by appointing franchisees besides outsourcing the job of carrying out meter readings and distribution to a private firm in the state capital.

Around 245 11KV feeders in urban and 12 11KV feeders in rural areas are, presently, working across the state and the board has decided to invite tenders for appointment of such franchisees in the remaining part of rural areas of the state.

These franchise’s would distribute bills, collect revenue, maintain low-tension lines, read meters and attend fuse-off calls in rural areas. The revenue collected could be deposited at the board’s office or its account within a specified time frame on a regular basis.

“The move to privatise the board is not acceptable to us and we will oppose it tooth and nail. These decisions have been taken keeping in mind the interest of a handful of people who want privatisation. The other demand is to put an immediate stay on the mass scale transfer of employees, which is not in the interest of the board financially too,” said Mahesh Prasad Sinha, general secretary, Bihar Power Workers’ Union (Puranderpur).

He said the morcha has submitted a memorandum to the BSEB chairman P.K. Rai besides submitting one copy each to the chief minister, the energy minister, the energy secretary and others.

Sinha said the struggle would continue till the board accepts all the demands otherwise the morcha, which claims to have a backing of around 7,000 employees, would be “forced to go on an indefinite strike” from March 25.

He said the transfer at such a big level would adversely affect the already-financially weak board and that the decision would put additional burden on the exchequer, as it would have to pay the allowances for transfers made to other districts.

He added the government should instead fill up the vacancies in the board, whose work load has grown manifold, and which has been managing to work with just one-fourth of its workforce.

Demanding that the board should immediately hold meetings with the unions to adopt a uniform approach. with regard to the implementation of Sixth Pay Commission.

The board has implemented the recommendations in toto for the officers in higher grade but lower grade officers and other employees have been deprived of the same treatment, he said.