Assn opposes hiring of retired staff as OSDs in Tangedco

Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Engineer’s Association (TNEBEA), the oldest union representing the engineers, has written to the chairman and managing director of Tangedco against the proposed move and termed it as a retrograde step.

Tangedco’s move to appoint the retired engineers comes in the wake of the corporation adding five new thermal power plants of a total capacity of 5,700 MW.

“It is learnt that there areproposals to engage and appoint retired engineers as OSD’s and consultants to advise on and to oversee the existing projects and stations of the Tamil

Nadu Transmission Corporation and Tangedco. The association is constrained to state here that it is certainly a retrograde step in a wrong direction which may lead to disastrous steps and affect the organisation as a whole,” the association said.

The TNEBEA said that the OSD’s, have no responsibility in any manner for the decisions taken during their tenure since they are not covered under service regulations. “Due to their interventions, the engineers’ in the regular cadre would not be in a position to involve wholeheartedly and discharge their services which may affect the day-to-day works,” the association said, pointing to the past decision of the Tangedco to scrap the proposals of appointing OSDs.

Stating that Tangedco must harness the excellent potential of serving engineers and the management could go for a “think tank committee or smart advisory committee” which was in practice to go into the suggestion and measures given by various knowledgeable and brilliance personnel available in service of the organisation. “We are requesting the CMD to drop the proposal of appointing OSDs and oblige,” the association said.

A senior Tangedco official said that no final decision has been taken. “In the past, when the Mettur III and North Chennai stage II plants were built, the retired officers oversaw the project execution,” the official said.