TANGEDCO outsources jobs to tackle mounting debt
CHENNAI, INDIA — The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) is planning to outsource several positions, including field assistants and assessors, to tackle its mounting debt burden of Rs1.4 lakh crore (US$16.8 billion).
TANGEDCO is a state-owned power generation and distribution company in Tamil Nadu, India. According to the company’s statement, TANGEDCO has not conducted any new recruitments in the past four years.
In that time, the utility has outsourced technical tasks at substations to retired engineers and operations like transformer erection, pole installation, underground cable works, and customer care centers to contractors.
Given TANGEDCO’s dire financial situation, fresh recruitment seems unlikely in the near future. A recent TANGEDCO board meeting outlined plans to fill nearly 58,145 vacancies, including 9,300 field assistant and assessor positions, through outsourcing
Emphasizing the financial constraints, a TANGEDCO official said the scale of the debt has hampered financing from institutions. This necessitates timely reforms, despite opposition from some trade unions that believe outsourcing jeopardizes job opportunities and violates labor laws.
A. Sekkizhar, state general secretary of the TNEB Employees Federation, said outsourcing could impact job prospects for graduates and unskilled workers.
Still, TANGEDCO maintains outsourcing is vital for financial sustainability and will continue to pursue partnerships to expand across India.
