Corruption in State Electricity Depts: Addl Inputs

Below are the key issues, root causes and solutions for addressing corruption in state electricity departments. Kindly review and share additional inputs on any other specific solutions that can be implemented to address the same.

We look forward to your inputs!
Transparency International India

Corruption in State Electricity Departments - Solutions

1. The vigilance over the state electricity department should be increased and made more systems driven
2. Electricity circles should be created for every city and state so common citizen can report corruption faced in these departments
3. Ratings of these departments by city should be introduced and the department head bureaucrat should be held accountable for them by Chief Minister and Power Ministry
4. The state electricity department offices should be brought under electronic surveillance by installing CCTV cameras
5. The systems of the department should be technologically upgraded
6. Officials should be trained on using computer systems effectively
7. Processes should be automated so that manual interventions could be decreased and efficiency could be increased
8. Employees caught taking bribes should be immediately suspended
9. A special helpline should be started to report corruption related issues in the state electricity department
10. Every complaint must have a turn-around-time to it
11. Officers should be made accountable for their jobs and their salary hikes should be performance based
12. The detailed rules and processes should be easily available in the offices for public’s reference
13. Meter readers should be given electronic devices which when connected to the meter, automatically takes reading.

Corruption in State Electricity Departments – Root Causes

1. Vigilance over the state electricity department is weak
2. Their systems are not yet completely computerized
3. There is too much of manual intervention in everything, giving room to corruption
4. Employees have been getting away with bribery for a lot of years now
5. The user base is large and tracking it completely becomes a challenge
6. The complaint redressal mechanism if not strong in most cities
7. There is a lack of strict action against the people caught for power theft
8. There is a lack of inter-department coordination
9. Officers misuse their powers and authority to make money on the side
10. There is a lack of proper accountability for their job
11. The lower and middle class Indians psyche has accepted this level of corruption as routine
12. The working of the entire department is non-transparent.

Corruption in State Electricity Departments - Issues

1. Meter readers take bribes to note incorrect numbers
2. Department employees take bribes from shopkeepers to reduce their monthly bill amount
3. Workers who come to fix faulty meters ask for money
4. The process of getting a new meter installed cannot be completed without paying bribes at different levels
5. Workers allow power theft after taking bribes
6. Company installs defective meters and the subscriber pay bribes to get it to slow down
7. Bribes need to be paid to get any correction done in bills
8. Bribes have to be paid to line men who come for repairs, failing which they do not show up for the next complaint
9. In case of any component failure, citing delays in Govt Supplies, the linemen/engineer make citizens/businesses procure them from their preferred vendor who gives them a commission
10. Bills are delayed at times by local staff in collusion with linemen to create a disconnection and bribery opportunity.
11. In some cities a business connection requires Rs 1000/kilo watt of bribe to be paid to engineer. more