Prime Minister I K Gujral has been urged by the National Thermal Power Corporation Executives Federation of India (NEFI) not to grant extension of tenure to Rajendra Singh, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).
He has done maximum damage to the interests of the Company during his tenure in the last five years as CMD, the NEFI has told the Prime Minister in a communication. Rajendra Singh is due to retire on May 31.
The NEFI has alleged that there has been a steep fall in the addition to installed capacity after Singh took over as CMD.
Further, the NTPC has also incurred a generation loss of about Rs 5,436 crore due to delays in synchronisation of various units and about Rs 8,160 crore due to delays in commercial operations of some units.
It also alleges that during Singhs tenure as CMD, the NTPC could not mobilise finances for any additional power projects despite the governments emphasis on the development of the power sector.
Even the loan of $400 million sanctioned by the World Bank was held back on account of various objections including rehabilitation and resettlement of land oustees.
In the letter to Gujral, the NEFI also points to ad-hoc promotion and transfer policies. These have been used as a weapon for victimising the employees of the company. The letter adds: the whole employee-community of the NTPC lost faith in the CMD.
The letter says that a high plant load factor (PLF), which reflects better performance, is achieved at the cost of routine maintenance. This in turn leads to breakdowns. Apart from this the inventory level for the corporation has touched Rs 2,400 crore. The NEFI points that while the standard norm for the inventory level is Rs four lakh per megawatt, the actual levels vary between Rs 8-10 lakh for the corporations power plants.
The organisation also points out that deterioration in the working environment, lack of a proper promotion and transfer policy, improper pay scales and perks has caused an exodus of expert manpower from the corporation which has dented its reputation.
