Many executive engineers of different electricity supply companies (Escoms) are set to face disciplinary action with respect to the scam in sanctioning the roof-top solar units. On Wednesday, Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that around 50 executive engineers would face suspension within a week if the "illegal" agreements signed by them for setting up such plants were not cancelled by then.
Participating at a conference on "Solar energy – The investment path" organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India’s (ASSOCHAM) Karnataka branch here, the minister said around 20 executive engineers had been suspended in connection with the roof-top solar scam.
The roof-top solar scheme, which was taken up to promote green energy generation, had been misused by some of the engineers in Escoms, who had colluded with investors to grant permission even in the cases where there were no buildings at all.
Though the state power regulator had reduced the procurement tariff for these units from the earlier level of Rs. 9.56 a unit to the range of Rs. 5.20 to 7.08 a unit depending upon their capacity, the engineers had allegedly signed the pacts with old dates to get higher tariff for these unauthorised plants. The scam came to light after a technical inquiry committee conducted spot inspection of several plants.
Referring to this, the minister said permission for roof-top solar plants with a total capacity of nearly 2,000 MW had been granted illegally though they did not have roof-tops (buildings) at all. "This is a roof-top solar scheme. Hence there is no question of accepting the proposals for setting up solar plants in the areas which does not have roofs," he asserted.
The government had begun the process of cracking the whip on erring officials on July 6 when nine executive engineers had been suspended for signing pacts in violation of norms.
