After its transport wing, BEST’s power supply division is on the verge of being completely privatised, said BMC Opposition leader Ravi Raja on Sunday, sharing a proposal by the undertaking to “outsource” jobs for cable fault repairs, digging trenches and excavation for laying cables.
The Rs 48-lakh contract was cleared by general manager Surendrakumar Bagde, who can clear proposals of upto Rs 50 lakh. “The GM will now sanction all such proposals, which will totally privatise the power supply wing and manpower/jobs will be given to private contractors,” said Raja, also a BEST panel member.
Bagde said no staff were being removed from service. He said jobs were outsourced to ensure “efficiency of service”.
“Our goal is to repair the fault as early as possible. Our manpower will continue to handle repairs. This is additional repairs so that customers benefit,” he said
A senior official said in the contract for outsourcing jobs for power fault repairs, there was a clause which ensured that cable faults are repaired within seven days. “Else, the contractor will have to pay Rs1,000 from the eighth day till completion of the job,” he said.
