Women SHG participation in power distribution will boost their economy says, OERC Chairperson UN Behra

Addressing members of WSHGs at a three-day training session at Uttara here on Sunday, he said the movement for community participation in power distribution started in Nayagarh district 10 years back
OERC Chairperson U N Behera addressing the training session on Sunday. (Photo | EPS)
OERC Chairperson U N Behera addressing the training session on Sunday. (Photo | EPS)

BHUBANESWAR: Chairperson of Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) U N Behera said community participation through women self-help groups (WSHGs) in power distribution will not only streamline revenue collection but also boost their economy.

Addressing members of WSHGs at a three-day training session at Uttara here on Sunday, he said the movement for community participation in power distribution started in Nayagarh district 10 years back was unique to Odisha and it has reached its logical conclusion through its replication all over the State. WSHGs have been undertaking the metering, billing and collection work in Nayagarh since 2008 and have converted the division from a loss making to a profitable one.

At a high level meeting of the Heads of Energy, Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti in May 2017, Behera had proposed to replicate the Nayagarh model across the State.
It was then decided that a pilot project involving WSHGs in three electrical sections of CESU, NESCO, WESCO and SOUTHCO would be started. The scheme is continuing under the supervision of OERC.
The State Government has already directed all districts and power utilities to deploy women members of SHGs for metering, billing and collection works. A detailed guideline was sent to respective utilities and Collectors. The Energy department has also issued a set of guidelines for their functioning as per the SHG energy franchise arrangement. CESU has already trained 10 WSHGs in Uttara, 79 in Paradip, 17 in Pipili and 23 in Niali. They would start working in the field from January 1. The process of notification and selection of WSHGs is on in the other three utilities.

“Empowering women financially by involving them in metering, billing and collection activities in the State power sector is now paying dividends. It is a great achievement in terms of their financial inclusion,” Behera said. The three-day training for WSHGs was organised by CESU in collaboration with Mission Shakti at Computer Academy Centre of the Krupajal Engineering College.  
Special Secretary of Mission Shakti Sudhansu Shekhar Mohapatra, CEO of CESU Arun Bothra, Senior GM (AT&C) of CESU Manoj Kumar Singh and Purabi Das from OERC also spoke.

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