Kerala State Electricity Board to hire electricity workers on temporary basis to handle emergencies during monsoon season

Citing a shortage of field staff, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has decided to hire electricity workers on a temporary basis for handling emergencies during the current southwest monsoon season.

The KSEB management has given the nod to engage qualified candidates through employment exchanges for a maximum of 179 days, so as to ensure the “uninterrupted functioning of field offices under the distribution wing,” according to a KSEB order dated May 31.

The decision comes at a time the KSEB has had to undertake repairs on a war-footing after the heavy rainfall and lashing winds in the initial days of the monsoon damaged overhead cables and several thousands of electric poles across the State.

Damages worth crores

According to the Power department, the power sector had sustained damages to the tune of ₹164.46 crore till Saturday. 2,826 high-tension and 61,637 low-tension overhead lines and 26,492 poles were damaged, demanding round-the-clock attention from the KSEB staff.

Meanwhile, the hiring is being treated as a “special case,” according to the KSEB order. The KSEB management has stressed that it should be restricted to a bare minimum “necessary to manage the current crisis arising from the monsoon-related natural calamities.” This is because the KSEB decision comes at a time when a restructuring of employee strength is under way so that it aligns with the strength approved by the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission and the State government.

Published - June 04, 2025 06:41 pm IST