customer-care-less
The World Customers' Day was observed by BESCOM in its usual ritualistic style on Saturday, the 15th March by holding a workshop on 'Customer Care', in association with Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Swabhimana, Consumer Advocacy, and Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC). Of the audience of a 100 odd people, only some 30 were members of Civil Society groups (RWA's, etc), the rest comprising mostly of BESCOM officials. Seeing this, the chief guest, Dr Samuel Paul, Chairman, PAC, remarked that the poor turn out was perhaps an indication of the high level of satisfaction with BESCOM services.
I wish to submit here that such statements by people of the stature of Dr Paul tend to convey a totally wrong picture compared to the actual position obtaining on the ground. Granted that the services may have improved compared to what it was a few years ago. But, Bangalore today produces goods and provides services of the highest quality to its clientele right across the globe. For such a city, the interruption-ridden service of BESCOM is nowhere near good enough. And, it is not as if better level of service is not possible in the Indian context, or anything like that. Cities such as Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Kolkata, Greater Noida, enjoy far better quality of power supply. This is evidenced by the fact that, while Bangalore is currently a Rs 1500 cr market for gensets, inverters, converters, batteries, emergency lamps, candles, match-sticks, and what have you, these products have a marginal presence, if at all, in the cities listed. And, now, New Delhi is all set to join them. The reason for the same is also not too far to seek - while Bangalore is served by the government-owned BESCOM, all the other cities are served by companies in the private sector. Need one elaborate further?
The apologists would immediately go on to talk about BESCOM's social responsibility of having to cater to the needs of the rural sector. But, then is it doing any better than its counterparts in the other states in this aspect? The records do not show anything like that, either. In effect, whereas in Karnataka, the people in both the cities as well as in the rural areas have to suffer the incapacity of the government agency, people in cities like Mumbai get the benefit of quality power supplied by private sector companies even as their rural brethren may not be in such a privileged position. Perhaps that is the idea of social justice of Karnataka politicos! But, in today's competitive world, can a city afford this?
Ironically, however, in Karnataka itself, there has existed from long an excellent model for sustainable rural power distribution in the form of the Hukeri Co-op Society in Belgaum district. The Society buys power in bulk at high voltage from the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation (KPTCL), arranges its distribution, collects money, and remits it to KPTCL on time, thus ensuring quality power supply from them, and, in the process, keeping everyone including the many farmer members totally happy. Where this model may not be feasible, particularly in geographically isolated communities, stand alone solar systems are a far more sensible option, than running kilometers of transmission lines. Very clearly, therefore, the rural sector load has been pooled in by BESCOM only to provide a convenient scapegoat to mask its poor planning and management.
Coming back to the workshop - now, if people do not turn up in sufficient numbers at such meetings, it is not because they are satisfied with the services, it is plainly because of the futility of complaining to a government agency. Those who can afford have made alternate arrangements, and those that can't are any way voiceless. One would have thought organizations like PAC, Swabhimana, Consumer Advocacy, and even the KERC would bother to speak up for the voiceless.
Muralidhar Rao
I wish to submit here that such statements by people of the stature of Dr Paul tend to convey a totally wrong picture compared to the actual position obtaining on the ground. Granted that the services may have improved compared to what it was a few years ago. But, Bangalore today produces goods and provides services of the highest quality to its clientele right across the globe. For such a city, the interruption-ridden service of BESCOM is nowhere near good enough. And, it is not as if better level of service is not possible in the Indian context, or anything like that. Cities such as Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Kolkata, Greater Noida, enjoy far better quality of power supply. This is evidenced by the fact that, while Bangalore is currently a Rs 1500 cr market for gensets, inverters, converters, batteries, emergency lamps, candles, match-sticks, and what have you, these products have a marginal presence, if at all, in the cities listed. And, now, New Delhi is all set to join them. The reason for the same is also not too far to seek - while Bangalore is served by the government-owned BESCOM, all the other cities are served by companies in the private sector. Need one elaborate further?
The apologists would immediately go on to talk about BESCOM's social responsibility of having to cater to the needs of the rural sector. But, then is it doing any better than its counterparts in the other states in this aspect? The records do not show anything like that, either. In effect, whereas in Karnataka, the people in both the cities as well as in the rural areas have to suffer the incapacity of the government agency, people in cities like Mumbai get the benefit of quality power supplied by private sector companies even as their rural brethren may not be in such a privileged position. Perhaps that is the idea of social justice of Karnataka politicos! But, in today's competitive world, can a city afford this?
Ironically, however, in Karnataka itself, there has existed from long an excellent model for sustainable rural power distribution in the form of the Hukeri Co-op Society in Belgaum district. The Society buys power in bulk at high voltage from the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation (KPTCL), arranges its distribution, collects money, and remits it to KPTCL on time, thus ensuring quality power supply from them, and, in the process, keeping everyone including the many farmer members totally happy. Where this model may not be feasible, particularly in geographically isolated communities, stand alone solar systems are a far more sensible option, than running kilometers of transmission lines. Very clearly, therefore, the rural sector load has been pooled in by BESCOM only to provide a convenient scapegoat to mask its poor planning and management.
Coming back to the workshop - now, if people do not turn up in sufficient numbers at such meetings, it is not because they are satisfied with the services, it is plainly because of the futility of complaining to a government agency. Those who can afford have made alternate arrangements, and those that can't are any way voiceless. One would have thought organizations like PAC, Swabhimana, Consumer Advocacy, and even the KERC would bother to speak up for the voiceless.
Muralidhar Rao
posted by Muralidhar Rao at
4:07 AM
4 Comments:
I was unfortunately, not in station, otherwise would certainly have attended the workshop. Having just returned from Delhi and Gurgaon after 6 days of experiencing latest life conditions in the National Capital Region, let me tell you that we in Bangalore are far, far better off as far as power availability to its citizens are concerned. It is not to say that we should not seek for improvement, but to say that people are not attending because either they are satisfied or that they see futility in participating are both erroneous. The truth is that people just do not take the trouble of participating in improving their conditions, but will either complain endlessly or just expect some one else to do something. WE ARE AN UNCARING LOT. That is the plain truth.
By
Unknown, at 6:58 AM
Murali,
I think that Dr.Paul's comment was only ironical; reflecting on the lack of citizen participation in such events of public interest. I got caught in the traffic stalemate that afternoon, despite being a Saturday, and missed attending the workshop.
The recent policy directive of SERC reg. the appointment of separate chairmen for the ESCOMs is noteworthy. Even after the restructuring of the KEB, no autonomy exists for the separated companies; they work as before. Ministry of Power seems to be helpless, since 'electricity' is a highly politicized subject.
Sethumadhavan.
By
sethumadhavans, at 11:15 PM
Hi Major
Things are far from hunky-dory on the power front in Delhi as of now, after distribution was handed over to TATA's and Reliance some three years back. But, one definitely gets a feel it's on the right track. An objective and analytical report on the Delhi power reforms has been compiled by PRAYAS of Pune. It's accessible at
http://prayaspune.org/peg/energy_pbl.php?cat_id=7&#links
(copy paste on your browser), and look under "A Critical Review of the Performance of Delhi’s Privatized Distribution Companies and the Regulatory Process: May-2006"
By
Muralidhar Rao, at 5:14 AM
Dear Mr Sethumadhavan
I had checked out with PAC before posting, and that was not the impression I got. They have come to the conclusion based on surveys conducted under their 'report card' project. Now, I wish to submit that if you limit the questions in the survey to just 'how do you find the service compared to the previous year', etc, it is not surprising that you land up with such conclusions. I myself have stated that 'granted that their services may have improved compared to what it was a few years ago'. But, if the people being surveyed are informed that such and such is the position in other cities, I would then like to know what their response will be. The problem also is that BESCOM is merrily using these survey reports to claim that they are on the top of the world, and it is only a few capitalistic lobbyists who have a problem.
The simple fact of the matter is that you don't need to conduct any fresh survey to know what the position on the ground is. The sales figures for the stand-bye ('mainstay' in the case of Bangalore) power equipment for the various cities will in themselves tell you what the scene is.
By
Muralidhar Rao, at 5:17 AM
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