THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With trade unions in the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) in an ugly mood, the Cabinet on Wednesday put off taking a decision on the restructuring of the state-run power utility.More discussions are planned with unions after which the matter will be studied by a three-member committee comprising Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Finance Minister K M Mani and Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed.“It was on the agenda of the Cabinet. But the unions have submitted several petitions. The government will decide on the matter only after taking the employees into confidence,” the Chief Minister said, briefing the media about the Cabinet decisions.The long-delayed restructuring of the power utility is proving to be a vexatious issue. The assets and liabilities of the KSEB were vested with the Power Department back in September 2008. The new company was registered under the name KSEB LTD. But the assets are yet to be re-vested into the new company. The previous LDF Government had announced that the KSEB would be retained in the public sector as a single company. While Kerala figures among the few states that are yet to transform state-run electricity boards into companies, the unions allege that the UDF Government is being too hasty in restructuring the KSEB.Trade unions allege that the government is yet to execute a tripartite agreement with the unions. The government has also not settled issues such as the creation of a pension fund and equity.The Power Minister had held talks with the union leaders last week, but that had proved inconclusive.“The matter will be placed before the Cabinet afresh after the Finance Minister, Power Minister and myself discuss the issue,” Chandy said.Meanwhile, KSEB chairman T M Manoharan is set to retire on May 31, but the Chief Minister said that the government was yet to decide his successor.
Comments
0 comment