CM order ignored: 60 retired engineers appointed to KPTCL

 Chief Minister, Chief Secretary orders overruled; posting to sanctioned posts

CM order ignored: 60 retired engineers appointed to KPTCL

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) has appointed 60 retired engineers, violating the orders of the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary.

CVL engineers who have retired from government service have been appointed as ‘Engineers on Duty (EOD)’ on ‘temporary basis’ in KPTCL corporate office and transmission sectors. The Director of Administration and Human Resources, KPTCL, issued an order in this regard on January 9.

The ‘EOD’ post has been created in three categories, and those born between 1957 and 1964 have been appointed, and they have been given the duties of Junior Engineer or Assistant Engineer. In addition, the responsibility of supervising and inspecting the civil engineering works of sub-stations has been entrusted.

‘The recruitment of retired employees is putting an additional burden on the exchequer. Also, the lack of quality of performance and accountability among retirees is also evident. Hence, retirees should be released from service in the departments,’ Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had instructed the Chief Secretary on January 9, 2024. Accordingly, the Chief Secretary had issued instructions to the Chief, Principal, and Secretaries of all departments on January 23, 2024, ordering, ‘Retirees should be released from service. They should be assigned to vacant posts.’

Even after these orders, KPTCL has not given importance to the recruitment process for vacant posts and has given the work of sanctioned posts to retired engineers.

‘As per the KPTCL recruitment rules, retirees cannot be recruited in any way. Also, they cannot be appointed to sanctioned posts on a contract/temporary basis. 60 retired engineers have been given the tasks of engineers in sanctioned posts, claiming them as ‘temporary basis’ in name only. Even though the retirees are already getting pensions of lakhs of rupees, they have been put on the spot. Even though the youth have applied and are waiting for appointment, the authorities are not paying attention. Also, their efficiency will not increase after retirement,’ complained Manmohan, a retired officer of KPTCL.

When tried to contact KPTCL Managing Director Pankaj Kumar Pandey for a comment, he did not respond. KPTCL’s Director of Administration and Human Resources, B.P. Vijay, who approved the appointment of the retired engineer and also pays the salary, simply replied, ‘Ask the Technical Director’.

• 60; Total selection of retired civil engineers
• 48; EOD-1 grade – salary of ₹1 lakh per month
• 11; EOD-2 Grade – Salary ₹90 thousand per month
• 1; EOD-3 Grade – Salary ₹80 thousand per month

Where were retired engineers appointed?

• 2; SE (Civil), KPTCL Corporate Office
• 2; DGM (Civil), KPTCL Corporate Office
• 9; Transmission Zone, Bengaluru
• 10; Transmission Zone, Tumkur
• 8; Transmission Zone, Mysore
• 12; Transmission Zone, Hassan
• 9; Transmission Zone, Bagalkot
• 8; Transmission Zone, Kalaburagi