Energy - IUCN

early eighties when the number of projects, their magnitudes and allocated budget
was much smaller. The number of the projects have been increased manifold as the
ongoing projects during the financial year 2002-2003 are 233 and allocated budget
is plus Rs. 1.5 billion. In addition, the maintenance load over the last 20 years has
also increased due to completion of more projects. This department needs,
therefore, reorganization and reinforcement by inducting sufficient number of
qualified engineers in order to increase its efficiency.
Training facilities are rarely available both for engineers as well as for the staff
engaged for the maintenance and operation of vital installations. The installations
of energy sector built wroth million of rupees are run at almost zero budget at the
mercy of raw hand operators engaged on casual basis at Rs. 2,000 per month. This
situation results in fast deterioration of valuable machinery and equipments. As a
result, we have to face the reduction in efficiency and antiquation of valuable
equipments before the estimated useful economic life. Therefore, training facilities
both for the engineers and other staff responsible for operation of vital installations
is highly essential beside provision of adequate funds for carrying out the
maintenance of such assets as per laid down engineering principles.
NAPWD is principally responsible to prepare the project feasibility and documents
like PC-1 of all development projects. Currently this department does not have any
economist, social scientist, and geologist in its existing set-up. Economic, financial,
and environmental impact studies in addition to geological studies are mandatory
in project preparation. Inducting qualified personnel in the above said fields can
enhance the efficiency of the department.
The staff being engaged for maintenance and operation of vital installations of
energy sector on casual basis needs to be discouraged and instead staff with basic
qualification in the relevant field be engaged on permanent basis at appropriate
level of salaries, so that they may work with full satisfaction, responsibility and
efficiency.
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It appears to be useless to invest more and more on creating new assets ignoring the
maintenance requirements of already built assets. It will therefore to appropriate to
provide adequate funds for maintenance and upkeep of the vital installations of
energy sector already built so as to increase both efficiency and life.
5.3. Introduce New Financial and
Cost Recovery Mechanisms
Currently, the responsibilities of power generation, transmission, distribution, and
billing rest with the Executive Engineers, Water & Power Divisions of NAPWD
(One such division is located in each district). In its existing state, the system is
quite vulnerable to theft, pilferage, and undue connections. The billing system
against sale of energy needs to be reviewed. Realizing this fact, a case has been
taken up by the NAPWD with the local administration to create an independent set
up exclusively for billing and recovery against sale of electricity in NA. An
Executive Engineer assisted by two Assistant Executive Engineers in each district
with full autonomy to perform the function independently should head the new set
up. This arrangement, if materialized based on cost recovery mechanism, will