DESA and DESCO come under fury

The ultimatum has to be taken seriously by DESA and DESCO for three inter-related reasons. First of all, management has been dismal for whatever reasons; otherwise, how could the systems loss, especially pilferage of power and the bill default reach such unacceptable levels? Secondly, development works are caught up in stagnancy. But unimpeded implementation of projects in their hands and those in the pipeline is so crucial in terms of their future growth and expansion of quality services. Thirdly, such track-records of DESA and DESCO, if continued, could amount to courting a wholesale private sector participation in areas they are currently looking after.

DESA is under notice to realise arrear bills for the past three years by October 31 as per a cabinet directive issued earlier on. DESCO has to complete 60 per cent of the job assigned to it by December 31 this year and 'all tasks' for the current fiscal by May 31, 2004. The power ministry has rightly said that if the targets were achieved people wouldn't have suffered in the beginning of the summer season. So, project implementation in terms of capacity-building is one year behind. Minister Mahmood demurred at the fact that he didn't hear of any exemplary punishment being meted out against anyone in DESA.

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The minister's chiding remarks, ultimatum and target-setting directives project the government's concern to see a turn-around in the power sector. Needless to say, it was time to take a strong position. However, the fact that DESA and DESCO have come to this desperate state, doesn't reflect very positively on the ministry itself. Yes, there has been lack of accountability and monitoring within the orgaisations, but if there were adequate supervision, auditing and monitoring from the top, things would have certainly improved earlier on.

Words are not enough. Simply by issuing orders, we cannot expect results as if by Aladdin's magic lamp. Administration by fiat can't do. There will have to be restructuring and reform of organisations coupled with monitoring of their activities on a constant basis from the ministries to free the utility services of corruption and ensure their optimal efficiency.