Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Electricity Board will launch a new firm for recruiting contract workers to its power transmission wing. 

According to reports, the new entity to be named Kerala Power Infrastructure and Service Company (K-PISC) will be modelled on the K-SWIFT which is a subsidiary of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).

At present, the KSEB has been appointing operators for the electricity transmission wing on a contract basis. Chief engineers or deputy chief engineers of respective substations have been carrying out the recruitments.

The K-PISC is being set up with the aim of ensuring uniformity in the recruitment process. The company will be in charge of recruiting operators for 33 KV, 66 KV and 110 KV substations.

The Board has resorted to this move on the basis of the report prepared in 2019 for the reorganisation of officers and other employees.

A final decision on the organisational structure of the upcoming company is yet to be made. 

If K-PISC comes into force, all lower-level employees except engineers in substations will turn contract workers. More than the employment norms, the Board is concerned about ensuring better service and safety. 

At the same time, it is alleged that the formation of the new firm is part of the move to privatise the power transmission and distribution wings.

(The K-SWIFT which denotes KSRTC-SWIFT was formed exclusively for long-distance services. Its bus services commenced in April 2022. SWIFT is an acronym for Single Window Interface for Fast and Transparent Clearance.)