Tamil Nadu News – More than 20,000 TNEB field staff await promotions

Tamil Nadu News – More than 20,000 TNEB field staff await promotions

The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) and the Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation (TANTRANSCO) / TNEB have not been giving promotions to a group of workers in the field wing, though there are many capable people with more than a decade’s experience. This is despite the Madras High Court giving a verdict in favour of these workers.

There are more than 20,000 such workers, assigned as ‘field assistants’ working in Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation and Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation, said R Murali Krishnan, general secretary of the BMS-affiliated Bharatiya Electricity Employees Federation.

“Field assistants have been appointed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) in two categories – those with educational qualifications and those without such qualifications. Qualified field assistants can get promotion as commercial assistants and then as commercial inspectors. But those in the second group can get promotion only as wireman from field assistant,” he said.

BMS had filed a petition in Madras High Court and got a favourable order in this matter, he told Express. “The court directed the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board to give promotions to suitable workers as per its regulations. But this has been violated in many circles a number of times for several years to satisfy unions that the TNEB supports,” he said.

“In spite of the court order, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board  management has been refusing to promote these workers. We demand that that promotions should be given as soon as possible. Another important demand is that vacancies must be filled immediately. There are 40,000 posts which are now vacant,” said Murali.

The TNEB has 85,000 workers in its nine regions – Chennai South, Chennai North, Viluppuram, Vellore, Erode, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli and Tiruchy.

‘High court order not followed’

The HC had directed TNEB to give promotions to suitable workers. But this has been violated in many circles a number of times for several years to satisfy unions that the TNEB supports, says a BMS-affiliated union leader.

Source: TNIE