Bengal govt to start power sector reforms

Kolkata, Feb 1(UNI) West Bengal government has planned to quicken the state power sector reforms after recent decision to bifurcate WBSEB into two separate companies.

''The state government would soon float a global tender to appoint a consultant to prepare the capacity expansion roadmap for state-owned power units and chalk out future manpower needs of the two companies that will be formed on April 1 after WBSEB's bifurcation,'' WBSEB chairman M K Dey said today.

Post-bifurcation, WBSEB's distribution and transmission operations would become two distinct companies--West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Co (WBSEDC) and West Bengal State Electricity Transmission Co (WBSETC).

Two new companies need more technical people to run efficiently, WBSEB officials said. At present, one-third of WBSEB's employees are non-technical. We need more technical people.

''The state government has decided to appoint an international consultant who will advise us on various issues,'' Mr De added.

Incidentally, the government had earlier appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to prepare the power sector restructuring package.

''Over the next five years, one-third of our existing employees will retire. Therefore, the new entities will require people and will go on a major recruitment drive. There has been no major recruitment at WBSEB for over 15 years,'' he said.

''During the 11th Plan period, we will add another 3,550 MW and set up major substations across the state. We will require Rs 20,000 crore and are talking to World Bank, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Power Finance Corporation and Rural Electrification Corporation for soft loans for upcoming projects,'' state Power Minister had said earlier.

The government has set an ambitious target to become the leading player among state-run utilities in the country by 2010.

UNI