Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) Temporarily Suspends Staff Recruitment During Reorganization Efforts
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has formally informed the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) about its decision to suspend all staff recruitment processes for various positions until the completion of an extensive reorganization initiative. This strategic move is part of KSEB’s ongoing efforts to optimize its workforce, reduce staff numbers, and eliminate redundant positions through comprehensive reorganization efforts.
The suspension of staff recruitment aligns with the proposal put forth by the Chairman of KSEB to temporarily halt the hiring process. KSEB has emphasized that initiating new recruitments at this juncture could undermine the progress made in streamlining the workforce and eliminating unnecessary positions. Consequently, KSEB has conveyed to the PSC that it will not be issuing notifications for any vacancies in the civil sub-engineer position for the next three years due to these organizational changes.
The reorganization plan, initially proposed in 2017 based on a report from the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM Kozhikode), is designed to optimize the workforce and align staffing levels with operational requirements. However, the implementation of the plan encountered delays and challenges.
In recent years, the number of employees in KSEB had steadily increased, reaching 33,314 by 2018-19 from 27,175 in 2009. The Electricity Regulatory Commission had set a target for KSEB to reduce its staff count to 30,321 by July 2022. Despite these directives, KSEB faced difficulties in meeting the specified staff reduction targets, leading to challenges in obtaining approvals for the salary expenses of newly appointed staff.
At present, KSEB has 31,371 employees, with the Commission approving the salary expenses for 30,321 staff. Given these developments, KSEB has prioritized its reorganization efforts to align with regulatory requirements, ensuring efficient and effective workforce optimization.
