Sobhandeb to look into plaints of defunct WBSEDCL help desk for retired employees

Sobhandeb Chatterjee, state Power minister will look into the complaints regarding the retired person’s help desk of West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) becoming virtually defunct.

“I will look into the matter on Monday and will take appropriate action after getting the report,” he said.

The retired person’s help desk was set up on September 7, 2009 with General manager (HR&A) as its chairman. The two other members are general manager (F&A) and additional general manager (HR&A) corporate, member- secretary.

The aim of the desk is to resolve the problems that retired employees of WBSEDCL are facing regarding pension etc. It is housed on the fifth floor of Vidyut Bhavan in Salt Lake.

For quite some time, the desk has become defunct. A retired employee of WBSEDCL preferring anonymity said as the help desk had become defunct he was running from one department to another to resolve the problem he was facing regarding pension. The desk was supposed to guide them to the respective officials and it was because of this apartment from the senior officials of HR&A, the general manager of F7A has been kept in the committee.

There are disputes over payment of gratuity and the employees are harassed in absence of any help desk. Chatterjee said the employees, both working and retired were the lifeline of the huge organisation and some of them were facing problem as it was the responsibility of the agency to sort them out.

The customers’ help desk is also become nearly defunct. Before 2011, Vidyut Bhavan was a den of CPI(M) and some CPI(M) leaders used to control everything. Though such a desk to assist the customers was created, it had never been run professionally.

WBSEDCL employees who are party members were posted to look after the desk and they did not have any work. The scenario has, however, changed and maximum stress has been given to customer care.

Meanwhile, senior police officers have suggested installation of CCTV cameras in Vidyut Bhavan and Vidyut Unnayan Bhavan where the ministers sit. Hundreds of people visit these two buildings daily and it was impossible for security personnel to keep an eye on every visitor.

The police is preparing blueprint of the security arrangement of all the state run buildings.