Civic bodies to outsource power supply jobs?

Khammam,Nov 23: Municipalities should take care of fundamental needs like roads,drinking water and power supply to the people. Contrary to their avowed objectives,many municipalities are not keen on doing their jobs.Already the civic bodies have started outsourcing their sanitary works to hand them over to contractors.Some are also trying to give up the responsibilities of maintaining power supply in the cities.About 51 municipalities in the State,given an oportunity,would like to wash their hands of their duty to supply power.As part of a State government package,the municipalities of Khammam, Kothagudem and Warangal Corporation have teamed up to supply power through contractors.

The Andhra Pradesh Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation has convened a meeting of chairmen,mayors and commissioners in Hyderabad lately.The officials discussed ways and regulations pertaining to providing power through contractors.Coming back from the meeting,the top brass of municipalities are preparing to call for tenders for power supply. In order to cut down the expenditure of municipalities, the officials are planning to shift the responsibility of power supply to other agencies.Khammam municipality spends Rs.1 crore per year for power supply besides investing Rs 15 lakh for electricity material and another Rs 15 lakh for workers'salaries every year.So,the civic administration has decided to drop their responsibility of supplying power and they are ready to pass resolutions at their general body meetings accordingly.

The bids have been called from contractors and the process will be completed by December-end this year.However,the people of the Khammam municipality have their rerservations about the quality of power they may receive under the supervision of the contractors. According to a local resident, Mr. Bhaskar Rao, the municipality has given up doing sanitary service long ago and now it is coolly passing on the burden of power supply also. ‘‘The contractors who have taken up sanitation work have already proven their inefficiency. Now we have to see what these power suppliers are doing,’’ he stated.