USAiD programme: 500 HESCO employees to be trained in IT

Automated meter readers installed in parts of the city to avoid tampering.


Z Ali July 19, 2011

HYDERABAD:


More than 500 employees of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) will be trained in basic computer skills by the USAID funded Power Distribution Improvement Programme (PDIP) starting July 19.


“An informed knowledge in IT matters has become indispensable as the power distribution companies’ plan to switch to an automated method of working,” said Brookings Institution scholar and PDIP human resource team leader Dr Tehseen Chohan.

While talking to The Express Tribune, HESCO spokesperson Sadique Kubar said that automated meter readers and Aerial Bundle Cables have been installed in Memon Colony. “The automated meter readers will prevent meter tampering which reduces unit reading while the aerial bundle cables are used as a lid for the kundas,” he added.

The PIDP and Hesco plan to accomplish this through a five-day workshop organised at the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology.

According to the Hesco spokesperson, the company has more than 8,000 employees but only 500 have been selected for the training. The PDIP plans to carry out a three-year training programme which will cover different fields of work in the eight power distribution companies in the country. The programme has been divided along functional and soft skills.

“The power companies lose billions of rupees because of weak auditing, bill collection, maintenance and power theft,” said Chohan. He claimed that the power companies need to change the current methods used to file complaints and pay bills. “They still use methods which make them vulnerable and contribute to the problems faced by the companies and consumers,” he said.

According to Chohan, there are flaws in the power distribution company internal and external communication systems. “An increasing amount of field workers are dying because of the lack of awareness, safety procedures, customer care, human resource issues and technological advancement,” he said.

Addressing concerns about the level of corruption in the country, Chohan claimed that the training process may not be able to end corruption but it will try to redirect it. So far, USAID has donated $60 million to the PIDP.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20th, 2011.

COMMENTS (1)

hashmat | 12 years ago | Reply

i also want a computer course i am son of wapda employee

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