‘Will ensure staff gets full, timely PF payment’
LUCKNOW: Newly-appointed Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) chairman and principal secretary Arvind Kumar has assured the state’s agitating power employees that they will get back each and every penny of their provident fund money invested in the troubled Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL).
He said he would soon hold a meeting with the employees’ unions to work out a solution of the issue and allay their apprehensions. He said he was trying to understand things and needed some time to hammer out a solution. “The UPPCL is committed towards ensuring timely payments of PF related benefits due to the power sector employees. We are exploring all the possibilities to get back the money stuck in the Mumbai-based private housing finance firm,” he said while taking to HT over phone.
A 1988 batch IAS officer, Kumar took charge on Monday replacing Alok Kumar, his batchmate, after the state government shifted the latter amid the growing controversy over the DHFL investment and the power employees demanding his removal.
Kumar’s assurance has come at a time when the power employees’ unions are demanding the government to take the responsibility of paying the money to the employees and have given a call for statewide rallies on November 14 to press for the demand.
To the question if the state government would take up the responsibility, he only said, modalities were being work out for the payment of their money.
“This is not important who— the DHFL, the UPPCL or the government, pays their money. What is important is that employees get their money back and we will ensure this,” Kumar said.
He said the UPPCL would soon file a legal suite in the Bombay high court urging it to help the corporation get its employees’ money with interest back from the DHFL.
“On Monday, I discussed the
issue with the lawyers and we will file the case as soon as things are firmed up, he said, adding, “Regardless of whether, the money comes back from the DHFL or not, employees will continue to get their payments smoothly,” he said.
Sources said the Bombay high court put a stay on the operation of the DHFL’s bank accounts after it defaulted to the Reliance which approached the court with the dispute.
The UPPCL may plead to the court that the DHFL be allowed to make the payments to it. The DHFL, sources said, had been making payments to the UPPCL till September and this was only after the court froze its account that it stopped the payments to the UPPCL.
On Monday, Kumar held a meeting with managing directors (MDs) of various discoms as well to review, among other things, the Saubhagya scheme.
“Certain irregularities have been noticed in the execution of the Saubhagya scheme. I have asked the MDs and executing agencies to expedite the implementation of the scheme under which electricity connections have to be given to all the willing rural households,” Kumar said.